On May 2nd, students enrolled in accounting classes from Lenape High School toured Bowman & Company LLP’s Voorhees office. This is the second hosted field trip for Bowman, and we couldn’t be happier with the turnout. 28 students interacted with Bowman staff, played educational games, and completed an audit report review.

Pictured above (left to right) are Bowman partner Michael Thilker, senior manager Nicole Land, Lenape business teachers Michael Smith and Christina Ianucci, senior manager Amy Perrone, and manager Ben Horner. These individuals represent multiple services we provide at Bowman, including our not-for-profit, employee benefit plan, SOC, municipal finance, and public school clients.

For students that are interested in the profession, but don’t have a personal connection to any professional accountants, it can be difficult to understand what the job is like; that’s why giving first-hand experience is valuable. Bowman Partners and team members, of varied skill levels, experience, and specialties, provided students with a chance to ask questions. The truth is, the day-to-day lives of accountants can vary significantly depending on the industry group and services provided. Standard classroom education of accounting allows for the understanding of basic accounting concepts, but it is limited in its ability to explain the details of specialized career paths.

Opening our doors to local students allows them to realize that there are beneficial opportunities around the corner, and that they’re not limited to national accounting firms. It gives the accounting industry a face; one that’s accessible, invested in their own community, and willing to answer questions. There are plenty of resources available to students as young as high schoolers, from sources ranging from their own schools, firms like Bowman, and organizations such as the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJCPA). Individually, each of these can benefit students; but working together, such as with these type of speaking engagements, we can extend our outreach and impact more potential accountants.

Students can be led to believe that their career is some distant point in the future, but that isn’t the case. College is a major financial and personal commitment, not some gamble that you make hoping that the career path you’ve chosen will turn out to be fulfilling. We don’t just want our local university graduates to be accounting majors; we want them to be confident in their career choice, motivated to succeed, and knowledgeable in our field. To achieve that result, a passion for accounting should be cultivated in students before it’s time for college commitment.

The Lenape High School business education department’s Instagram account highlights some of the accomplishments, activities, and news from students like those that visited Bowman’s office.