Chun Fong Discovered Innumerable Opportunites in ACIS

Chun Fong is a 5^th year student in the Master of Accounting and Information Systems set to graduate in May 2020 with all four parts of the Uniform CPA exam already completed.  Originally, from Battlefield High School in Haymarket, Chun transferred to Virginia Tech from Northern Virginia Community College during his sophomore year.  He chose Virginia Tech after visiting because he loved the atmosphere and community spirit that is alive at VT and the Pamplin College of Business.  Initially an undecided business student, Fong added ACIS as his major after taking Jason Sharp’s Principles of Managerial Accounting where he discovered the innumerable opportunities that accounting as a discipline afforded.  Chun “loved that [accounting] was the language of business and super applicable to any future endeavor.”  Fong was attracted to the Graduate program, specifically the Audit track, for the extra depth of knowledge and assistance with passing the CPA exam.  Chun specifically cites teaching ACIS 2116 as helping him prepare for the BEC managerial accounting questions and a Forensic accounting graduate course as being especially helpful for the audit section of the CPA exam.

Chun’s journey to pass the CPA exam began the summer before the Graduate program commenced by completing the FAR section.  He passed BEC and REG in the fall of 2019 and recently completed his last section (AUD) in the Spring-2020 semester.  Fong cited time management as the most difficult aspect of passing the CPA exam while taking a full course load of graduate level classes and serving as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) for ACIS 2116.    He has found his work as a GTA to be particularly valuable, as it has helped with public speaking and the conveyance of information.  Two skills he realizes will be particularly important as he progresses through his business career.  Chun notes that his time as a GTA has been rewarding in building relationships with his students and tailoring his teaching approach to help individual students learn better and find the interest in accounting that he himself has.

Chun recounted how beneficial Pamplin’s Business Horizon Career Fair was to him as an accounting major.  He felt that the recruiters there particularly emphasized the accounting majors and found the recruitment process very enjoyable to be in such high demand.  While Chun found the curriculum challenging, he will miss the late nights studying and the professors who made the material relatable and provided he and his fellow students with all of the resources necessary for success.  Mr. Fong will be starting work as an audit associate with Cherry Bekaert in their Tysons office this fall with the ultimate goal of becoming a CFO or owning his own business.