You Can Make a Difference!

I am sure you have a story about your first time on campus. 

It was September 2016 when I first set foot on the UMass Dartmouth campus. And it was nuts! I stood in a line that stretched around McLean Campus Center to purchase books for my classes. Students were everywhere, and everyone was excited about the future – a stark contrast to my upbringing.  

I’m originally from Eritrea, where everyone is required for indefinite national service. By the time I finished high school, there were people who had already served the country for 16 years for free. I wanted my fate to be different from theirs. I’ve always wanted to be a CPA since I was a child. I was a frequent visitor at my uncle’s accounting practice and fell in love with the opportunities, and financial stability, the CPA designation could provide. I knew that I couldn’t stay in a place where my future wasn’t in my hands.

In 2011 I made the tough decision to leave my country and my family in search of a better life. Even though I could have been killed if I was caught crossing the border, the possibility of starting over in a country where anything is possible made it worth the risk. And luckily enough, after four years as a refugee, I came to the United States in 2015.

I had no money and no idea how I would support myself. Once I arrived in Boston, I studied hard and worked as a sales associate while applying for college admission to continue my studies. I enrolled in the accounting program at UMass Dartmouth, but knew I needed financial help if I wanted to graduate. In April 2017, I learned that I was selected to receive the MSCPA/NABA Scholarship from the Massachusetts Society of CPAs. It felt like the odds were slowly turning in my favor, and a giant weight was lifted from my shoulders. This scholarship helped me move one step closer to achieving my dream of graduating from college, and joining the accounting profession. 

Many accounting students are only here because of scholarship support. Students like me, who are hungry to learn and eager to join your profession, but we need your help. The MSCPA’s Educational Foundation has awarded $894,050 in scholarships to students from Massachusetts colleges and universities since 2006. You can continue the legacy of MSCPA and make huge difference in the life of other students like me by contributing $25 or more to the MSCPA’s Scholarship Program before February 1, 2018. I know there are others who can step forward and forever change the face of the accounting industry in Massachusetts. 

So, I’m asking you to please make a difference this year. Answer this letter with your support for the future of your profession. Visit masscpas.org/donate to pledge your support. 

Please.

Sincerely,

Kibrom Hidru, UMass Dartmouth, Class of 2018