Kent State College of Business Administration Accounting Student Featured in OSCPA Newsletter

KENT, Ohio - June 22, 2015 - PRLog -- They say that imitation is endearing, and in a lot of ways, the greatest form of flattery. Paige Upole, who was awarded a scholarship from The Ohio CPA Foundation earlier this year, made a wise choice when choosing someone to imitate.

Paige’s father, Daryl Upole has dedicated his life to accounting and actively gives back his time and talent to his students at Kent State University. Paige took the recommendation to heart when her Dad suggested that she give accounting a chance. When she saw the full potential of the career and all that it offered, she’s taken off and never looked back.

A full-time faculty Assistant Professor at Kent State University, Daryl Upole has been an educator for 23 years. He is a CPA, member of The Ohio Society of CPAs, and an academic advisor at Kent State.

Daryl’s advice for Paige, and his students, is simple: “Follow your passion.” When his daughter was stuck early in her college career deciding what she wanted to do, her Dad suggested accounting. When asked about his influence, he quoted Joel Osteen, “Your kids may not do what you say, but they will do what you do.”

Paige Upole is excelling. After finishing her undergraduate degree in accounting at Kent State, she plans to continue her schooling, working towards a Master’s in Accounting, followed by the CPA exam. Paige has already accepted an audit associate position at McGladrey in Cleveland starting in the fall of 2017.

While her father teaches accounting principles in the classroom, Paige is busy teaching others outside the classroom what a career in accounting truly means.

“One of the first things people say when I tell them I’m an accounting major is, ‘I could never do that. I’m awful at math.’ And I usually just smile and jokingly say, ‘So am I,’” she said.

While numbers certainly play a role, the Upoles believe interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence are the true makings of a successful CPA.

“Accounting, in general, is the language of business, and to truly understand business you must understand language and human behavior,” Daryl said.

Both Daryl and Paige are passionate about giving back to the community and the profession.

“It is fantastic that those who donate to The Ohio CPA Foundation support current accounting students in such a benevolent and selfless manner,” Paige said. “This scholarship will have an amazing impact on my education and is something I will not forget. I have every intention of being able to give back to this organization in the future.”

Parents and teachers can play a significant role when it comes to influencing the career choices of future generations. Because of her Dad, Paige is on the fast track for a long and successful accounting career. In a field misconceived as just number crunching, the Upole’s demonstrate the value of relationships.

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Kent State University’s College of Business Administration is one of only 180 colleges or schools of business worldwide to achieve dual accreditation in both business and accounting from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International, the global accrediting body providing specialized accreditation at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. The College of Business Administration is home to 4,502 students; the second largest college of business in Ohio. The college boasts a satellite office at Kent State University’s Career Services Center dedicated to business students, and operates the Global Management Center, the Center for Information Systems and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation all propelling scholarly research, establishing innovative industry partnerships and providing outreach to Northeast Ohio and beyond.

Media Contacts:

Michelle Parrish Manning, Director of Marketing Communications, mparris3@kent.edu, 330-672-2717

Bri Figley, Marketing and Communications Specialist, bfigley2@kent.edu, 330-672-1279