STARTING THE SEMESTER STRONG WITH MS. KIMBERLY TAYLOR AND MS. REBEKAH BROWN PRESENTATION

-JohnRay Akia

​On February 6, 2019, Beta Alpha Psi was fortunate to have Mrs. Taylor come and speak at Towson University. Kimberly Ellison-Taylor is currently the Global Accounting Strategy Director for Oracle America, she used to be the Chairman of the American Institute of CPA’s Board of Directors, and she is also a past Chair of the Maryland Association of CPA’s. She was recognized by Accounting Today as one of the “Top People in Public Accounting- 2018” and by CPA Practice Advisor as one of the “2018 Most Powerful Women in Accounting.” There were people in attendance from different schools and backgrounds. Members from Towson University Society of Accountancy, National Association of Black Accountants, and other BAP members from Loyola, Salisbury, Morgan State, and University of Baltimore came to the event for guidance, questions, and to learn more about the opportunities in accounting.
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As an aspiring accountant I found the event to be informative and motivational. Mrs. Taylor made it a point to stress that there are “no excuses” on what you can do. I’ve heard this phrase used on television and Ted Talks, but to hear these words in person hits harder than any Nike commercial. As an African American who was raised in inner-city Baltimore, Mrs. Taylor managed to beat the societal expectations placed on her. Everyone loves underdog stories, but what I respect most about Mrs. Taylor was that she never saw herself as such. She did not let her background define her opportunities and by doing so she was free of the self-perceived limitations that come with expectations and stereotypes. I’m sure everyone in attendance took “no excuses” differently, but I took it as a challenge. Mrs. Taylor knew her audience was filled with aspiring accountants and the future that lies ahead. Accounting is hard, the subject matter can be mind numbingly boring, the hours are ridiculous, the CPA is terrible, and failure is inevitable. But Mrs. Taylor showed me that with the right mind-set anything can be done-like a boss.
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