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1999 MBA Graduates Earn Top Scores on CPA Exam
Laura Wickey
"Those were long days: up to fifteen hours of taking classes and working part-time. Sometimes I had to study or work on projects until one or two in the morning," recalls Laura Wickey, MBA '99, who credits the intense preparation she received at Zicklin for her noteworthy performance on the May 1999 CPA examination. Wickey's scores of 99, 99, 93 and 95 on the four-part test placed her first in New York State and sixth among the 56,000 people who took the test nationally.
While getting her graduate degree, Wickey worked at Baruch, two accounting firms, and a Wall Street investment firm. But her long days and schedule of part-time assignments are not the most unusual aspect of her story-most Baruch students hold down part-time jobs. The eyebrow-raiser: her undergraduate degree from Cornell University is in animal science.
So what made this top student decide to apply to Baruch for an MBA in accounting instead of entering veterinary school and becoming an animal doctor? "I have always loved animals. I've volunteered at animal shelters. Right now, I have two dogs and two cats," she says. "But after taking only one accounting course at Cornell, I found that I was more interested in running a business than in treating animals."
At Baruch, Wickey was extremely pleased with the training she received. "Baruch gave me a top-rate education. My life was not as focused in productive channels before I entered Baruch's graduate honors program in accounting." She is especially grateful to Baruch professors Joe Weintrop, Julie Floch, Bill Ruland, and Hugo Nurnberg for encouraging her to produce top-quality work. "The group projects, the analysis and comparison of specific companies' financial statements, the demand for outstanding papers-all led to a high level of scholarship, group participation, and learning that have helped my career," she says.
In addition to working hard, Wickey has been lucky: just before the test, Professor Weintrop asked her to expedite her paper on revenue recognition, which turned out to be the topic of a major essay question on the CPA exam. Yet as a Jack Nash Scholar, she has likely been responsible for a lot of her own luck: last spring, she graduated with a 3.8 average. Wickey lives on Long Island with her husband and is working as an assistant auditor for the Big Five accounting firm KPMG Peat Marwick in Melville, New York.
Wendy Fan
An international student who first came to the United States from her native China in late 1997, Wenhui "Wendy" Fan was a top performer on last May's CPA examination. She earned grades of 88, 93, 95, and 94 on the four-part exam.
A graduate of the China Institute of Finance and Banking and a former junior accountant at the Bank of China in Beijing, Wendy Fan, like Laurie Wickey, joined the first class of Baruch's Full-Time MBA Program as a Jack Nash Scholar. Currently an entry-level accountant in the Manhattan office of J.H. Cohen, she credits Baruch's excellent faculty as a major contributor to her success. "The school's wonderful teachers really helped prepare me for the exam," she says.
Energized by both the College's high-quality programs and New York City's international character, Fan returned to Zicklin in the fall of 2000 to begin an MS program in taxation. Her husband, Zhitao "Tom" Song, completed the MS program in computer information systems at Baruch.
Zicklin Alumni Club Hosts Harvard Research Fellow
This past year, Zicklin School of Business Graduate Alumni members had many opportunities to listen, learn, and network with the Baruch College Alumni Association and other New York business school alumni groups.
Along with the Japanese External Trade Organization (JETRO), the Zicklin alumni group co-sponsored a seminar by Dr. Takahiro Fujimoto, professor, University of Tokyo, and senior research associate, Harvard Business School, who spoke on "The Future of Japanese Manufacturing Systems." This was the second time JETRO and the alumni group sponsored a program together.
The Zicklin club's other activities have included socializing with Georgetown alumni at Metronome, a restaurant known for its location in the heart of Silicon Alley. The Zicklin group also belongs to the New York Business Schools' Club, which entitles members to attend and participate in activities with alumni from Harvard, Wharton, Columbia, NYU, and other top business schools.
The alumni group's mission is to facilitate lifelong learning, contacts, relationships, and camaraderie among members and to enhance each member's personal, career, and community development.
David Levine, EMBA '93, heads up the club. He is the senior vice president of finance and administration for ChoiceSeat, a venue-based, interactive entertainment network designed to enhance the fan experience at live events.