UVa-Wise students win Goodman Accounting Challenge

UVa-Wise accounting students Matthew Dean of Charlottesville, Lijah Robinson of Castlewood, Kristen Blevins of Stafford and Jason Lawrence of Newport News won the Goodman Accounting Challenge, earning a $2,500 award for the the College's Department of Business and Economics. Each student also received a $250 individual award.

A team of four accounting students from The University of Virginia’s College at Wise brought home the $2,500 first-place award in the Goodman Accounting Challenge held in Norfolk.

In addition to the money awarded to the UVa-Wise Department of Business and Economics, each student received a $250 individual award. The team of winning students includes Kristen Blevins of Stafford, Matthew Dean of Charlottesville, Jason Lawrence of Newport News, and Lijah Robinson of Castlewood.  The team was led and moderated by Dana Kilgore, an associate professor of accounting at UVa-Wise.

To compete in the Goodman Challenge, the team first had to excel in a pre-qualifying exam. Seventeen southeastern university/college teams competed in an eight-hour accounting exercise to become finalists. Four teams competed in the final challenge, a six-hour exam with complex accounting and tax problems simulating today’s public accounting challenges.

The other finalist teams that placed were Virginia Tech and two teams from Salisbury University. The exercise was created and judged by Goodman & Company partners.

"We're really proud of Jason, Kristen, Lijah and Matt; they set a lofty goal and worked as a team to make it happen,” said David Kendall, professor of economics and chair of the Department of Business and Economics. “Our accounting program at UVa-Wise has been strong for years, thanks to the teaching and dedication of accounting professors Dana Kilgore and Teena Fast. But this year our students have really raised the bar."

Goodman and Company created the annual Goodman Accounting Challenge in order to recognize outstanding accounting students and to promote the integrity of the accounting profession. The Goodman Accounting Challenge is a two-part interactive exercise in ethical accounting practices.  Using situations that the company experiences on a daily basis, the test was constructed and challenges senior-level accounting students to apply their knowledge to real-world accounting problems. Finalist teams in the challenge were hosted for weekend festivities with entertainment and banquet ceremonies.

Goodman & Company is a regional certified public accounting firm delivering quality accounting, tax and specialized services. Celebrating their 75th anniversary in 2007 of professional integrity, Goodman & Company is one of the largest and most trusted accounting, auditing and tax services firms in the Southeast. The firm’s 69 partners and more than 450 professionals offer expert knowledge in specific industries such as construction, distribution, financial institutions, government contracting, healthcare, manufacturing, not-for-profit, real estate and professional service firms.

Posted December 18, 2006