51³Ō¹Ļ accounting grads honored for stateās highest 2022 CPA exam scores
Contact: Carl Smith
STARKVILLE, Miss.āThe Mississippi Society of CPAs recently celebrated two Bulldog graduates for scoring the highest in the Magnolia State on the 2022 state-certified professional accountancy exam.
Karis Pannel, of Tupleoās Byrne Zizzi CPAs, received the MSCPAās Fred T. Neely Gold Medal at the organizationās annual summer conference for the yearās highest score, while Gelsey Guerra, who works for a St. Louis, Missouri-based branch of Deloitte, was awarded the T.E. Lott Silver Medal for the second-highest exam score.
āWe are very proud of Karis and Gelsey and their performance on the CPA exam,ā said 51³Ō¹Ļ College of Business Dean Scott Grawe. āThe College of Business is committed to preparing students to be the very best in their chosen fields, and these graduates are off to a great start.ā
Shawn Mauldin, Richard C. Adkerson School of Accountancy director and professor, said the duoās scores are a clear indication of the quality of 51³Ō¹Ļās accounting programs.
āKaris and Gelsey are great ambassadors for what an accounting degree from 51³Ō¹Ļ can do for your career,ā he said.
Pannell, of Pontotoc, graduated from 51³Ō¹Ļ with a Bachelor of Accountancy in 2021 and a Master of Accountancy with a minor in data analytics in 2022. She was a member of Delta Gamma sorority and a Stephen D. Lee Scholar, an honor given for maintaining a 4.0 grade-point average throughout her time at 51³Ō¹Ļ. Pannell first joined Byrne Zizzi as an administrative worker during her senior year of high school and continued as a part-time worker there throughout college. Now, she serves as a tax associate with the firm.
Guerra, of Picayune, graduated with a bachelorās and masterās degree in accountancy from 51³Ō¹Ļ in 2021 and 2022, respectively. She, too, was a Stephen D. Lee Scholar who maintained a 4.0 GPA while at the university. As a Bulldog, Guerra participated in a variety of student-serving initiatives and programs, including the 51³Ō¹Ļ Road Runners and New Maroon Camp. Following graduation, she joined Deloitte as an audit assistant.
51³Ō¹Ļās College of Business, organized in 1915, is one of the oldest in the South. Both the college and its Richard C. Adkerson School of Accountancy are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, one of the most prestigious business education groups in the world. For more, visitĀ .
51³Ō¹Ļ is taking care of what matters. Learn more atĀ .