Taylor Accounting Alumni Finish in the Top 10 in Indiana CPA Exam

Graduates of Taylor University’s Accounting program have achieved finishes in the top 10 in the Certified Public Accountant’s examination, administered by the State of Indiana.

Hunter Huber, who graduated in 2021, achieved with Indiana’s highest score, and Maggie Anderson, also a 2021 graduate, finished in the top ten.

Huber joined Ernst & Young LLP (EY) in their Houston, Texas, office as a Staff Assistant in the Business Consulting group in 2021. He previously served an internship with CliftonLarsonAllen’s (CLA) Indianapolis office, before working a summer 2020 internship with EY’s Houston office. Ernst & Young is listed among the world’s four largest accounting firms.

Anderson joined Plante Moran in Chicago, Illinois, in January 2022 in the Audit department. Plante Moran is the 13th largest firm in the U.S. based upon revenue (per Accounting Today’s Top 100 Firms 2022). She served a 2020 summer internship in the tax department of Ingredion Inc., an American multinational ingredient provider based in Westchester, Illinois.

“Taylor played such a critical role in my success with the CPA exam,” Anderson said. “As I dove deeper into accounting-related content, Professor Dave Poucher did a great job of challenging students to actually learn and conceptually understand the material. Additionally, the technical content is relevant and well taught.”

Anderson, who switched her major to Accounting after starting in Psychology and Marketing, said the encouragement of her professors and the work required to complete the major were keys to her success on the CPA exam. “The work ethic that I developed throughout my years at Taylor is something that carried over to my CPA preparation. I can confidently say that Taylor’s Accounting program served me well and adequately prepared me to succeed in the coming professional endeavors,” she said. “Without my friends and the community fostered at Taylor, my academic experience would have been much more difficult. The support system of peers and professors at Taylor is truly unmatched.”

Anderson’s and Huber’s high scores mark the third time graduates of Taylor’s Accounting program have finished among the Indiana CPA examination’s top 10. Additionally, May 2021 graduates achieved an 86% passing rate for first time attempts at taking any of the four sections of the CPA exam – more than 35 points higher than the national average.

“During all four of my years at Taylor, every professor in the Business Department was willing to go above and beyond to make sure we had the best learning experience,” Huber said. “Whether it was an evening study session, open office hours, or meeting for a meal to discuss questions we had, every professor was open and willing to go the extra mile to ensure our success. During my junior and senior years, Professor Poucher pushed all of us in the Accounting program to be ready to take the exam right after graduation. In the midst of it, it felt like we were doing more homework and studying than anyone on campus; but once we all started passing the exams we realized it was a huge blessing.”

Dr. Mary Jo “Jody” Hirschy, Associate Professor of Marketing and Chair of the Business Department at Taylor, congratulated Huber and Anderson for their high scores and thanked the Taylor faculty for the roles they played in the students’ success.

“Taylor University has historically attracted exceptional students who are serious about their studies as well as their faith. All of us at Taylor University are proud of Hunter and Maggie’s achievements,” she said. “Their excellence and dedication characterized their work in the classroom and will continue in their journey of lifelong learning. We are also grateful for their success as it serves as an encouragement to their fellow classmates who walked alongside them; studied with them, current students who are making their own preparation towards the CPA exam completion, and our dedicated accounting faculty members.”