Each spring, the McCombs School of Business hosts Honor’s Day at which a number of awards are presented to undergraduate students. The Department of Accounting chose one 4th-year iMPA student to receive the Excellence in Accounting Award at Honor’s Day held on Friday, April 5, 2019. Let’s meet this year’s award winner.

This year’s Excellence in Accounting Award winner is Alyssa Sternadel. Alyssa is finishing her 4th year in the Master’s of Professional Accounting program, with a focus in tax.

Alyssa Sternadel 2019

Meet the 2019 Excellence in Accounting Award Winner, Alyssa Sternadel.

The Department of Accounting’s award recipient is chosen primarily based on academic achievement. This can make selecting a recipient difficult; our program is quite competitive and many of our students are talented and academically accomplished. However, even in that group, Alyssa’s academic record is outstanding. To date, she has been the top student in many of her accounting courses. That’s no small thing, given the rigor and difficulty of that coursework, particularly in the area of tax.

Steve Smith speaking about Alyssa

MPA Program Senior Director Steve Smith introduces the Excellence in Accounting Award Winner, Alyssa Sternadel.

Her faculty have also noted that her contributions to their courses go beyond earning good grades. One noted that Alyssa “was always highly engaged in the classroom, consistently asking thoughtful and clarifying questions. In what is typically a difficult course for many students, Alyssa embraced the challenge of learning the material and developing her critical thinking skills.” Another indicated that Alyssa was a great classmate and a leader in group projects, helping her peers when they had questions or were struggling and always doing so with a positive and encouraging disposition. As the faculty member said, “Alyssa’s warm personality and friendly demeanor made everyone enjoy being around her and created a more relaxed and enjoyable classroom environment. I am SO glad she is receiving this award.”

We commend Alyssa for her reputation for hard work, her exemplary professionalism, and the dedication she exhibits in all of her McCombs’ undertakings; we are very pleased to have her as our 2019 Excellence in Accounting Award recipient. Congratulations, Alyssa!

Terri Holbrook and Alyssa

Professor Terri Holbrook and the Excellence in Accounting Award Winner for 2019, Alyssa Sternadel.