Five Rutgers Business School students win NJCPA scholarships

Every year, the best and brightest New Jersey college and high school students compete for the NJCPA Scholarship Fund awards. This year, 180 students applied. Five Rutgers Business School students, Eric Recchia, Noel Lott, Ragen Walker, Ruth Ciprian, and Gauri Gautam, earned scholarships between $2,000 and $6,500.

Assistant Professor of Professional Practice C. Daniel Stubbs, Jr., MBA CPA CGMA, and director of the Master of Accountancy in Financial Accounting program said, “The acknowledgment by those in the profession goes a long way towards giving our RBS students pride in their selection of accounting as an undergrad major. It gives them a jumpstart to their professional careers and helps to expose them to key recruiters. The awards highlight the strength of RBS’ Accounting and Information Systems department as the preeminent accounting program in New Jersey.”

NJCPA members and New Jersey accounting firms contributing to the fund have supported more than 2,000 New Jersey students through awards totaling more than $7 million since 1960. The fund has helped to increase the number of both minorities and women who enter the profession, and many scholarship recipients have been the first in their families to attend college.

Gauri Gautam said, “Receiving the NJCPA Scholarship Fund award is a tremendous honor, and it represents a culmination of my journey from initially studying marketing to discovering my passion for accounting.”

“The accounting classes and professors at Rutgers Business School played a pivotal role in encouraging me to pursue this path,” said Gautam, “particularly the financial accounting prerequisite that sparked my interest.”

Academic performance is only the starting point of the NJCPA Scholarship Fund awards selection process. A written essay cuts down the field, which is finalized through personal interviews.

Noel Lott, a Business Student Transition Access & Retention (B-STAR) student, said, “I am very encouraged by this award.” Through his years and experiences at RBS, Lott developed the career goal of becoming a CPA, but he did not know how to do that. 

“I became part of the supportive RBS community,” he said. “The faculty teach the technical knowledge, expertise, and hard skills to succeed. The B-STAR program and the business forum strengthened my soft skills to think, communicate, and write like a professional. Develop as a professional.” 

Ruth Ciprian said, “Receiving this award is not only a recognition of my hard work but also a reminder of the support and guidance I’ve received from the Rutgers Business School community. The academic rigor at RBS has been instrumental in pushing me to excel, but I believe it was the Rutgers Accounting Society events that I have hosted that have helped me refine my communication skills, allowing me to present myself confidently during the interview process. Additionally, the opportunity to network with professionals in my field has been invaluable in shaping my career path.”