Annual awards banquet honors Fisher School students

GAINESVILLE, Fla. –  Michael Dougherty was named the Chrislynn Freed Master of Accounting Outstanding Student of the Year at the Fisher School of Accounting Spring Awards Banquet on April 19 at the Hilton University of Florida Conference Center.

The award is selected by the faculty and is the highest honor awarded to a Fisher student.

Dougherty was awarded the MACC Fisher Fellowship in 2017, along with a $10,000 PCAOB scholarship. He earned a 4.0 in all of his accounting classes in the Fisher School by working diligently and truly understanding the concepts taught in each course, he said. Ever since he took Introduction to Financial Accounting, he said he enjoyed learning the material and wanted to learn as much as he possibly could. In the spring of 2016, he started as a Teaching Assistant (TA) for Intermediate Accounting I and has been a TA at the Fisher School ever since.

Dougherty said being a TA has been a great privilege because there are only about 15 TA positions available and many qualified candidates in the Fisher School. He said being able to help numerous students with their coursework has brought him joy. Dougherty said he learned a great deal on how to teach students in a manner that works for them, how to understand their struggles and how he can best help them overcome those struggles.

Dougherty shared his thoughts about the award and life after graduation.

Q: What does it mean to you to win the Chrislynn Freed Master of Accounting Outstanding Student of the Year award?

A: “Winning the Chrislynn Freed Master of Accounting Outstanding Student of the Year Award was an honor because only one student out of over 100 accounting students receives the award each year. This award is a recognition of all the hard work I have done, along with the time I have put in as a TA at the Fisher School.”

Q: What are your plans after graduation?

A: “After graduation, I will move back home and finish the CPA exam. Then, in the fall, I will move to Jacksonville, Florida and start working at Dixon Hughes Goodman as a tax associate.”

Q: How has your experience in the Master of Accounting program prepared you for those plans?

A: “My experience in the Master of Accounting program at the Fisher School has prepared me to start my job as a tax associate by pushing me to learn the technical aspects of the Internal Revenue Code. Additionally, I have honed my critical thinking skills and I have learned how to develop relationships with my co-workers and work on a team.”

The Fisher School also recognized a number of other students for their accomplishments. The complete list of winners is below.

Fisher MACC Fellowship

Dayna Simon

Richard E. Darby Accounting Scholarship

Jason Martell

Connor Pleban

Traci Post

Jim and Sandy Wadsworth Scholarship

Tyler Gibbs

Don Miller 5^th Year Accounting Scholarship

Olivia Porter

Batson-Siegel Accounting Scholarship

Amy Scheb

Leland M. Reiner Memorial Scholarship

Jacob Wilde

Ralph W. Miller Scholarship

Jacey Cottingham

Rachael Laky

Robert N. Lowe, Jr. Family Accounting Scholarship

Matthew Kessler

William E. Crown, Jr. Fellowship

Joseph DiMartino

Matthew Kutner

Danielle Maso

Dugan Sanders

Hannah Waller

Avery Zaffos

Gerson, Preston and Company, CPA Fellowship

Inbar Cohen

Erin Reilly

Aaron and Carly Topol Scholarship

Alvaro Chaux

Accounting Fellowship by Anonymous Donor

Parker Fields

Lara Thrush Long MACC Scholarship

Paige Zyserman

Barbara Jean Raskin, CPA Master of Accounting Scholarship

Kriss Camacho

FICPA Scholarship Nominees

Matthew Blockus

Jenna Foster

Alexander Gottlieb

Kenneth Matthews

Joseph Noble

Jessica Walker

Hao Wang

Leadership Awards

Michael Cook Student Leadership Award

Beta Alpha Psi, President

Kriss Camacho

Ed Triplett Student Leadership Award

FSOA Student Council, President

John Muia

Chrislynn Freed Master of Accounting Outstanding Student of the Year

Michael Dougherty

Michael Cook Excellence in Teaching Award

Sonia Singh