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Susan Harkins, a Master of Accountancy student at the University of North Georgia (ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½), has received a from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Up to five Carey scholarships are awarded each year.

The $5,000 award aims "to encourage students with little or no previous accounting education" to pursue such careers. Harkins, who previously worked as an educator, began taking undergraduate accounting classes at ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½ in fall 2018 to meet prerequisites for the accounting master's program.

"I love numbers, solving problems and helping people," said Harkins, who is a bookkeeper for her family's business and wants to become a CPA.

Harkins worked an internship during spring 2020 at BatesCarter, a CPA firm based in Gainesville, Georgia. She also earned a Julius M. Johnson Memorial Scholarship from the .

Harkins earned a Bachelor of Science in middle grades education from ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½ in 1994 and a master's degree in education from ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½ in 1996.

"Susan already has the 150 hours necessary to be licensed as a CPA and can complete the remaining required accounting courses without a master's degree," said Dr. J. Kent Poff, a CPA and associate professor of accounting at ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½, in his recommendation letter for Harkins. "However, she is choosing to obtain the Master of Accountancy to improve her professionalism and has already purchased a CPA review course."