The Student Accounting Association hosted their first meeting of the spring semester on January 29, 2020, with 63 students in attendance. Alumnus Morgan Hoover, who graduated from IUP in 2016 with a major in accounting, was the guest speaker. While at IUP, Hoover was a member of both the Eberly Business Honors Program and the Cook Honors College. After graduating from IUP, Hoover completed law school at the University of Pittsburgh, graduating in 2019. Currently, Hoover is working as an international tax consultant at Deloitte in their Pittsburgh office.
Since childhood, Hoover thought she wanted to be a lawyer. In high school, she became involved in different business organizations and realized she also had a great passion for business. When it came time to decide what major she wanted to pursue at IUP, she chose accounting. As her IUP graduation date approached, she decided to continue her education at the University of Pittsburgh and pursue a degree in law.
She emphasized that having an accounting degree coupled with a law degree is a powerhouse combination, both in terms of academic success and job opportunities. She mentioned that accounting is an academically rigorous discipline that requires a lot of studying to be successful, which helped to instill the study habits needed to excel academically in law school. She specifically mentioned that the knowledge she obtained in IUP's accounting program prepared her well to succeed in law school. In addition, having the accounting background set her apart from the many law students with history, political science, and English undergraduate degrees, which opened up more job opportunities for her at both law firms and accounting firms.
Morgan Hoover (third from left), 2016 accounting alumnus and international tax consultant at Deloitte, spoke to 63 students at the first Student Accounting Association meeting of the semester. Shown are April Murdick, SAA senior vice president; Kim Anderson, SAA faculty advisor; Morgan Hoover; Sarah Crownover, SAA president; and Alexis Diehl, SAA mentoring chair
She also discussed strategies on how to successfully prepare for the LSAT (Law School Admission Test), how to apply to law school, what to expect in law school, and what the state bar exam entails. She said she studied one to two hours every day for several weeks to prepare the LSAT, which is an important determinant in being accepted to law school and earning scholarship funds. She said that the first year of law school is particularly challenging, and that as many as 60 percent drop out. Law professors expect heavy class participation as well as a significant amount of writing.
While speaking at the meeting, Hoover encouraged students to think about all the areas of accounting where a degree in law might help to better achieve career goals. Some of these areas include mergers and acquisitions as well as international tax consulting. As an international tax consultant at Deloitte, Hoover often communicates with people in countries outside of the United States. Having a background in law has helped her to understand the proper procedures to follow both domestically and abroad.
Deloitte, one of the Big Four international accounting firms, has provided Hoover with many great opportunities and experiences. In the future, if Hoover decides she wants to practice law, she is confident that her experience at Deloitte will have prepared her for the challenges and rewards of being a lawyer. The main takeaway Hoover gave to the students was, "If you combine an accounting degree with law, you will be unstoppable."
Sandra Shanshala, SAA Publicity Chair