By AFRO Staff
A Coppin State University (CSU) accounting Student has received offers for internships this summer from each of the nation’s top four major accounting firms.
Kyra Thomas, a CSU junior majoring in accounting, from Springdale, MD, has been offered internships at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, PricewaterhouseCoopers(PWC), Ernest & Young, and Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG) for a summer 2020 internship. She ultimately decided KPMG was the best fit for her.
Coppin State University student Kyra Thomas is one of the top accounting college students in country and a caretaker for her father and mother in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. (Courtesy photo)
While Thomas is committed to be an outstanding student, she is also a dedicated daughter and caretaker to her father who was diagnosed with leukemia on the same day she learned she was accepted to CSU. “It’s been hard but I’m doing it all,” Thomas said. Since the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in remote learning away from campus, she has been living with friends to prevent exposing her father to the virus.
“He is in the high-risk group, so I only get to see him through a house window and video calls. My mother is in the high-risk age group, so I grocery shop for them and leave the packages outside their door,” Thomas said.
Despite her challenges, at CSU, Thomas is a well-rounded student, who has also immersed herself into college life. She is a life member of the Golden Key International Honour Society and Alpha Lambda Delta, an honor society for students with a 3.5 GPA or higher and are in the top 20 percent of their class during their first year or term in higher education. In addition, she takes pride in being a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated (AKA).
“I am surrounded by women who believe in having high standards and helping the community,” Thomas said of being a member of AKA. She was campus Resident Assistant (RA) but gave up those responsibilities to have more time to care for her father.
Thomas’ interest in accounting was sparked by one of her teachers while attending Charles Herbert Flowers High School in Springdale. She became hooked after taking her first business class, “Accounting and Entrepreneurship.”
“My entrepreneurship teacher also introduced me to Future Business Leaders of America, (FBLA),” Thomas said. The high school division of FBLA, prepares students for careers in business through academic competitions, leadership development, and educational programs.
“While at Coppin State University, I participated in programs offered by three top accounting firms,” Thomas said. The programs included: Deloitte’s Audit Luminary Symposium in 2019, PwC’s Career Preview in 2019, and KPMG Future Diversity Leaders Conference in 2019.
“Those programs provided a great opportunity to network with professionals and students, and to learn about the accounting field,” Thomas said. “I chose to pursue tax accounting because it gives me the opportunity to consult with clients, and to use my expertise and interest in politics. Tax laws are important and interesting,” she noted.
Thomas is on track to graduate CSU in May 2021, one year early. After that, she plans to earn a master’s degree and become a CPA.