New Jersey Society of CPAs Announces 10 Winners of its Student Loan Debt Lottery

 – January 3, 2023
New Jersey Society of CPAs Announces 10 Winners of its Student Loan Debt Lottery

— Helps Lessen Debt Load in Becoming a CPA — 

The New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJCPA) announced 10 winners of its Student Loan Debt Lottery, which was created in 2020 to offset members’ costs on their way to becoming a certified public accountant (CPA). The winners, who were selected randomly in December out of 182 applicants, will each receive $1,200 towards their student loan debt. 

The lottery was conceived by the NJCPA Student Loan Debt Task Force and funded by the NJCPA Scholarship Fund to assist members who have amassed a significant amount of debt. In addition to supporting the lottery, the Fund has distributed scholarships totaling more than $7 million since 1960 to more than 2,000 New Jersey students. 

To be eligible for the lottery, winners had to be members who have debt totaling more than $1,200. This year’s winners have a combined student loan debt of more than $480,000 or an average of $48,011.20 each.  

“The Student Loan Debt Lottery is a wonderful way to assist those of us in the accounting profession who may have accumulated debt on our journeys to become a CPA. It’s also a reminder of how much student loan debt affects all of us,” said Melissa Dardani, CPA, CFE, MAcc, managing member of MD Advisory Services and a member of the NJCPA Student Loan Debt Task Force. 

Zachary Cohen, CPA, senior manager at CFGI, a member of the NJCPA Student Loan Debt Task Force and the chair of its Emerging Leaders Council, added, “Student loan debt continues to weigh on young professionals today. It’s important we recognize that and offer programs and awards that can help lessen the cost of becoming a CPA.”  

This year’s winners included the following:  

  • Regina M. Ficarra, CPA, staff accountant at WilkinGuttenplan
  • Christopher Martin, CPA, CGMA, partner at SobelCo
  • Amy L. Mooney, CPA, tax accountant at Dimensional Accounting Services
  • Joseph E. Polanco, staff accountant II at Withum
  • Andrea Rega, senior audit associate at WilkinGuttenplan
  • Brian J. Rizzi, CPA, semi-senior tax accountant at Marcum LLP
  • Melisa Sirak, CPA, staff accountant at WilkinGuttenplan
  • Nicholas W. Smith, CPA, senior accountant at Withum
  • Ryan Stacy, CPA, staff accountant at Ernst & Young LLP
  • Kristopher X. Tapia, CPA  

“Accounting is such a rewarding profession. The lottery is a great opportunity to give back to CPAs and aspiring CPAs who do so much for their clients and community,” said Ralph Albert Thomas, CPA (DC), CGMA, CEO and executive director of the NJCPA. “We are grateful to the Scholarship Fund to be able to help offset the high cost of attending college and graduate school.”   

For more information on the NJCPA Student Loan Debt Lottery and its Scholarship Fund, visit njcpa.org/studentloandebt.  

 

 

Related events

December 5, 2024Live Webcast
Featured
November 23, 2024Edison
Middlesex/Somerset Chapter
Annual Tax Seminar
November 25, 2024Live Webcast
November 25, 2024Live Webcast
December 3, 2024Live Webcast
December 4, 2024Live Webcast
December 4, 2024Live Webcast
December 4, 2024Live Webcast
December 4, 2024Glen Rock
December 5, 2024Live Webcast
December 5, 2024Spring Lake
December 6, 2024Cherry Hill
Southwest Jersey Chapter
Annual Tax Seminar
December 6, 2024Live Webcast
December 9, 2024Live Webcast
December 10, 2024Paterson
Passaic County Chapter
Elder Law | Trusts
December 10, 2024Roseland
December 10, 2024Live Webcast
December 11, 2024Webcast Replay
December 11, 2024Roseland
December 12 - 13, 2024Live Webcast
December 13, 2024Live Webcast
December 13, 2024Live Webcast
December 13, 2024Live Webcast
December 17, 2024Live Webcast
December 17, 2024Live Webcast
December 17, 2024Webcast Replay
December 18, 2024Live Webcast
December 19, 2024Live Webcast
December 19, 2024Live Webcast
December 20, 2024Live Webcast
December 20, 2024Live Webcast
December 20, 2024Webcast Replay
December 20, 2024Live Webcast
December 23, 2024Live Webcast
January 4, 2025Neptune
Monmouth/Ocean Chapter
Tax Seminar
January 9, 2025Live Webcast
January 14, 2025Secaucus
January 15, 2025Paterson
January 16, 2025Paramus
Bergen Chapter
State Taxation
January 17, 2025Red Bank & Live Webcast
January 22, 2025Live Webcast
January 23, 2025Webcast Replay
January 23, 2025Live Webcast
January 23, 2025Live Webcast
January 31, 2025Webcast Replay
February 5, 2025Linwood
Atlantic/Cape May Chapter
Federal & State Tax Update
February 6, 2025Paramus
Bergen Chapter
Special Topics
February 6, 2025Haddonfield
Southwest Jersey Chapter
Technology Update
February 12, 2025Live Webcast
February 19, 2025Live Webcast
February 24, 2025Webcast Replay
March 19, 2025Live Webcast
April 16, 2025Live Webcast
April 22, 2025Clark
April 25, 2025Roseland
April 25, 2025Live Webcast
May 7, 2025Northfield
Atlantic/Cape May Chapter
Estate Planning
May 8, 2025Haddonfield
Southwest Jersey Chapter
Nonprofit Update
May 20, 2025E. Brunswick
Middlesex/Somerset Chapter
New Jersey Law and Ethics
May 21, 2025Live Webcast
June 3 - 6, 2025Atlantic City
June 25, 2025Live Webcast
August 18 - 20, 2025Atlantic City
October 22, 2025Live Webcast