Gavin Shields, Class of 2025, was recently appointed as the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants’ Student Ambassador. A native of the Ohio Valley city of St. Clairsville, he came to Miami with the desire to pursue a business degree and major in accountancy.
Gavin is a member of the business fraternity Phi Gamma Nu and has served as an undergraduate associate for the Farmer School of Business, leading a class of 29 first-year students in a course on how to succeed in college. Read on to find out how he came to be an advocate for the field of accountancy among his peers.
Why did you choose to major in accountancy?
Both of my parents studied business in college, and they’ve had great success over their careers. Growing up and learning about what they do inspired me to also study business in college. My dad’s degree is in accounting and my mom is connected with a lot of accountants through her work, so I always had the opportunity to learn about the accounting career field. I even had the opportunity to complete an accounting internship while I was in high school, and I enjoyed what I learned through it. I was good at math in high school and I’ve always had an interest in money, so I landed on accounting because I figured it was best suited for my strengths and interests.
How did you decide on Miami?
Once I knew that I wanted to study business, I started looking into schools with good business programs. Miami was a school that stuck out with its rankings, and it checked off a lot of my other boxes like size, area, and distance from home. I came and toured Miami my sophomore year of high school, and I was impressed. Even after touring lots of other schools, Miami remained at the top of my list. However, what completely sold me was the accepted students tour. I came to tour again in April of my senior year of high school, and I was once again impressed by the tour. They took us on a tour of campus, and I also took a tour of FSB. It was very clear that Miami was committed to career preparation and resources for students which was the most important factor to me. Now, here I am. In a way, I always knew it was going to be Miami.
What are your favorite campus activities?
Honestly, I just like coming to class and being involved. The Farmer School of Business is a great community of students so coming to class, talking with other students, and going to events for my business fraternity are some of my favorite things to do at Miami.
What got you interested in becoming the OSCPA Student Ambassador?
One of the main goals of the Student Ambassador is to promote the accounting major and accounting career fields, and this is something that I have always done anyway. I have always been an advocate for the accountancy major, and I encourage other students who are unsure of their future to consider accounting. When I was nominated to apply for the position, it was a no-brainer. I might as well turn something I already do into my job.
Because of that, it’s even easier now to connect students with accountancy because I have more resources and motivation to do so. In addition, it’s obviously a great professional opportunity that I can use to further develop myself as an accountant and business professional. I have the opportunity to work with an important organization like the OSCPA and network with the business professionals that are connected with them.
Describe your responsibilities as Student Ambassador. How has it gone so far?
The main responsibilities of the Student Ambassador include promoting the accounting major, educating students on the accounting major and the different accounting career fields, and promoting the many resources that OSCPA offers to accountancy students. I give presentations to different student groups and classes that cover many different areas of accounting as well as the importance of taking advantage of the resources offered by the OSCPA. I also promote the different leadership and networking opportunities and events offered by the OSCPA. So far, I believe it’s going really well. I’ve given a couple presentations and it seems like the students are interested. I’ve also only had the position for a little while now, but I’m working hard on different projects and I can’t wait to see where it will take me.
What has impacted you the most during your academic career at Miami?
At this point it shouldn’t be a surprise, but obviously the accountancy department has impacted me most! The educators and staff have been great to work with in my time at Miami, and I feel like I’ve learned so much through my accounting classes. Looking back at where I started to where I am now, I can clearly see how much I’ve grown as a business student and professional, and I feel like I owe a lot of that to them. Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my parents. They have always been so supportive of me in the good times and the bad, and I am immeasurably grateful for everything they have done for me. Knowing that they are cheering me on every day motivates me to work hard and succeed.
What’s next for you?
This winter, I will be participating in the FSB Asian Financial Markets study abroad program, and I am so excited to have the opportunity to go. Throughout the program, I will be studying international finance in Japan, Singapore, and Australia. After the spring semester, I’m heading to Florida for my internship with EY at their Orlando office. I will be working as an audit intern, and I’m extremely excited and grateful for the opportunity. Next fall will be my senior year, and I will be starting courses for the MAcc program.