Inspiring Words from a New CPA

At the NJCPA Celebration of Excellence on April 24, we awarded $190,000 in scholarships to high school and college students, and we commemorated those who recently earned their New Jersey CPA license. 

We laughed, cried and cheered as keynote speaker Caitlyn Napolitano, CPA, reflected on her journey to earning her CPA license earlier this year. Watch or read her speech:

"For all the scholarship winners here, you probably are thinking that I was in your shoes. Actually I was not in your shoes. I did not win an NJCPA scholarship; I applied, but I did not win. Yet, my identical twin sister, Courtney Napolitano, applied and received the NJCPA scholarship 3 years ago, and I attended this ceremony 3 years ago with her as one of her +1s. Courtney was invited to speak tonight but she is actually on vacation in Disney World right now, so I guess me speaking is the second best thing out of the two of us. All kidding aside, my CPA experience is very similar to my sister, Courtney, as she is a newly licensed CPA as well. As a brief intro, I majored in accounting at Ramapo College. I graduated from Ramapo with my bachelor’s in accounting in May 2022, and I graduated from Ramapo with my master’s of science in accounting in May 2023. I then started working at Ernst and Young in Iselin, NJ in September 2023. I am currently a Staff 2 at Ernst & Young in the audit practice.

"If we rewind to September 2022, Courtney and I had just started on our 1-year master’s of accounting program at Ramapo, and we thought it was the right time to start studying for the exams. So we ordered our FAR textbooks, and they were enormous. I remember thinking how could I ever know all of this material?

"Feeling discouraged, Courtney and I met up at Starbucks with Courtney’s mentor she selected from the NJCPA ceremony in April 2022, Kerry Duda, and she offered to be my mentor as well, shoutout to Kerry! That September, Courtney and I basically told Kerry that we were thinking about giving up on studying for the CPA exams as there was no way we would ever be able to know everything. Kerry told us that all of that was not true and it was totally do-able, she had done it and it was totally possible for us to pass if we just put in the effort. Feeling inspired, Courtney and I started studying for FAR in September, and we both took FAR in January 2023.

"February our FAR scores came in. I remember slowly lifting my laptop to see my score. I passed! I was screaming with excitement! After I told Courtney the good news, she told me she did not pass. Not passing together was an obstacle for us, as we had studied for FAR together.

"Courtney ended up passing FAR, and we both started our series of passing the exams. I passed BEC in April 2023, then Courtney did in May, I passed REG in July, then Courtney did in August. Then it was onto our last exams of audit. We purposely saved audit for last as we both started working for EY in September in the audit practice, and we thought our work experience in audit would help with the audit exam. We both took audit in December, but we both unfortunately failed just points behind passing. I was going to throw in the towel, passing 3 exams for nothing. I was entering my first public accounting busy season at work, and I simply thought there was not enough time to work and study.

"It was extremely difficult to stay motivated to study for hours day after day. I could not have kept continuing to stay motivated to study without the tremendous support from my parents. I always used to ask my parents, especially my dad, do you think I can pass? And my dad always said reassuringly, “Yes, are you kidding me, I know you can pass!” And there were times when I cried to my mom saying that I was not good enough, and she would always tell me,

“'You can do this, Cait, you studied so much, you can write the test you know it so well!' I would not be standing here today without my parents' support, so I would like to thank my mom and dad for always believing in me especially during times when I did not believe in myself.

"Working in busy season was another huge obstacle for us, as our CPA study time was negatively impacted. I remember working until midnight or later in the office and driving home at night calling my dad. He would test me on audit exam flashcards I had made and ask me questions like what is materiality? Studying for the CPA exam took tremendous perseverance, self-discipline, and pure dedication, and I realized I could not give up now.

"As my busy season came to an end, Courtney and I both took audit again in March 2024. On May 28, 2024, NASBA released our scores. As I slowly opened my laptop, and this time a big message appeared on my screen, CPA Examination Passed. Congratulations on passing the Uniform CPA Exam. Courtney received the same message! We were both screaming at the top of our lungs, we had finally passed!

"On January 9, 2025, I officially became licensed as a CPA. I had obtained 150 credits, I passed the CPA exams, and I had one year of work experience working for EY. Already my career has been positively impacted by the CPA credential. At EY, you cannot be promoted to manager without having your CPA license, thus my CPA designation will allow me the opportunity to advance in my career, whereas, unfortunately, some of my superiors I work with will not be able to be promoted since they have not obtained their CPA licenses. Yet, I have also learned that the CPA designation comes with a great deal of responsibility. For example, CPAs must follow a code of ethics and professional standards. Additionally, continuing professional education (CPE) is the continuous education and professional development that is mandatory for CPAs to keep their CPA license active and remain up-to-date with the current industry rules and regulations.

"Now that we went over requirements CPAs must follow, I would like to highlight how important it is to be a part of the NJCPA for networking, education, and career growth. I joined the NJCPA when I was an NJCPA student ambassador at Ramapo along with Courtney. I learned the NJCPA was a fantastic way to build my network. I met so many inspiring accounting professionals, like my friend Kim Condurso, who always encouraged me throughout my CPA journey, shoutout to Kim, thank you! I also learned that the NJCPA allows individuals to grow their expertise and advance their careers. Thus, the NJCPA truly is an incredible resource, and I encourage all of you to stay involved as you embark on this next chapter of your careers.

"For all of the scholarship recipients here tonight, I would like to remind you all to stay committed to your CPA goals. Going back to my CPA journey, just as how I opened my FAR textbook and I was going to give up studying for CPA exams before I even started and my mentor Kerry told me that I was being ridiculous and passing the exams were totally do-able for me, I would like to be the Kerry for all of our scholarship recipients. You all can do it! You all are smart enough, and I know each one of you can pass!

"For all of the new licensees, I would like to encourage you all to stay engaged in the accounting profession. Stay involved and join NJCPA events, find mentors, and seek leadership opportunities, as this will help you grow your careers and polish you into more experienced accounting professionals. A fun NJCPA event I encourage you all to attend is the Fiesta and Friends Cinco de Mayo celebration with the NJCPA Emerging Leaders Council next week on Thursday, May 1 in Somerville, NJ, as this is a great way to kick off celebrating your new designations and networking with other accounting professionals to enhance your careers!

"On the whole, it has been a truly celebratory night. I would like to congratulate all the scholarship recipients and the new CPA licensees again on their amazing accomplishments, as we all know what you have done was not easy. I invite all of you to stay connected with the NJCPA. I also invite all of you to connect with me, Caitlyn Napolitano, on LinkedIn, and feel free to reach out. I would like to wrap up by leaving you all with a motivating thought so listen carefully. “Your CPA license is not just a credential; it is a key that opens doors. Use it wisely, stay curious, and always strive for excellence.” Thank you!"