Senior Ashlee Coffey ’20, accounting, is a recipient of the CMA (Certified Management Accountant) Scholarship, awarded by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA). The CMA scholarship covers the costs of the two-part exam, study materials and IMA membership while pursuing the certification.
Ashlee learned about the scholarship on LinkedIn, and was assisted by Dr. Mark McKnight, Associate Professor of Accounting, in pursuing the award. While at USI, she has been a resident assistant and desk assistant with Housing and Residence Life. She put her accounting skills to the test as a peer mentor in USI’s Student Financial Success Center (SFSC). The newly established SFSC is dedicated to educating students on how to be financially successful and helping them understand the importance of responsible personal financial decisions.
Ashlee said she has especially enjoyed her accounting ethics and cost accounting classes, which will help prepare her for the CMA exam. After graduating in December, she would like to find work in cost accounting with a manufacturer in her hometown of Richmond, Indiana. She plans to juggle work, studying and taking the first part of the CMA in 2021, with an eye toward getting an MBA down the road.
“Ashlee is extremely deserving of the scholarship,” said McKnight. “It will enable her to focus on attaining the CMA credential, which makes her much more competitive to prospective employers.”
According to Strategic Finance, USI’s pass rate of 92% on the CMA exam ranked among the top five—well above the overall pass rate of 58%.