{"id":875,"date":"2026-04-03T18:02:25","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T18:02:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/?p=875"},"modified":"2026-04-03T18:02:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T18:02:25","slug":"designed-for-the-cpa-and-beyond-kitty-reddy-25-on-her-mpacc-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/2026\/04\/03\/designed-for-the-cpa-and-beyond-kitty-reddy-25-on-her-mpacc-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"Designed for the CPA and Beyond: Kitty Reddy \u201925 on Her MPAcc Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For Kitty Reddy ’25, accounting isn\u2019t just about numbers \u2013 it\u2019s about purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Kitty arrived at the Lacy School of Business from Peoria, Illinois, she wasn\u2019t simply searching for a degree. She was looking for a place that would prepare her for the rigor of the CPA exams while helping her build a career aligned with the kind of impact she wanted to have. She found that foundation \u2013 and more \u2013 in Lacy\u2019s Master of Professional Accounting<\/a> (MPAcc) program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI knew I wanted to be fully prepared for the CPA exams,\u201d Kitty says. \u201cAnd this program really focuses on understanding, not just memorizing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That distinction matters. Designed intentionally around CPA exam content and outcomes, the MPAcc program doesn\u2019t just help students pass exams; it helps them think like professionals. With a 100% placement rate<\/a>, the program equips students with technical expertise, confidence, and momentum to move seamlessly into meaningful careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kitty\u2019s journey toward accounting began as an undergraduate at LSB, where she enrolled in 2021 and quickly discovered both a passion for the field and a community that supported her growth. Immersed in a curriculum that challenged her to think critically and apply concepts in real-world ways, she built a strong academic foundation while engaging deeply on campus as a member of Pi Beta Phi, Alpha Kappa Psi, and the Lacy Business Scholars program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As graduation approached in May 2025, Kitty reflected on the environment that had shaped her so profoundly. Rather than looking elsewhere for graduate school, she made the decision to continue her education at Butler, beginning the MPAcc program in August 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt felt like the natural next step,\u201d she shares. \u201cI already knew the faculty, the expectations, and the culture. I wanted to keep learning in a place where I felt both supported and challenged.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Kitty\u2019s professional direction was shaped by more than coursework alone. After witnessing her father undergo multiple surgeries and losing a cousin to leukemia, she felt a strong pull toward the healthcare field \u2013 not as a provider, but as someone who could make a difference behind the scenes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI knew I wasn\u2019t meant to be on the clinical side,\u201d she says. \u201cBut I still wanted to make a difference in that space.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That realization led her to pair accounting with a minor in healthcare management, combining analytical skills with compassion and purpose. Her goal became clear: to work in healthcare accounting, supporting hospitals and healthcare systems through thoughtful tax planning and financial strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI want to contribute in a way that still impacts people\u2019s lives,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the Lacy School of Business, Kitty found more than academic preparation, she found a community invested in her success. Small class sizes allowed faculty to truly know her as a learner, offering mentorship that went beyond the classroom and helping her refine her goals with clarity and confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe people here want you to succeed,\u201d Kitty says. \u201cYou\u2019re not just another student; you\u2019re someone they\u2019re investing in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That environment has shaped not only her technical abilities, but her belief in herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLooking back, I\u2019ve grown so much,\u201d she reflects. \u201cNot just in what I know, but in how I approach challenges and think about my future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through internships and Butler\u2019s Meet the Firms<\/em> career fair, Kitty explored a range of possibilities within accounting \u2013 from healthcare-focused firms to public tax \u2013 gaining firsthand exposure to different paths within the profession. Those experiences culminated in securing a full-time position as a Tax Associate at Crowe, where she will begin her career after completing her graduate studies and CPA exams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even now, as she balances MPAcc coursework, a part-time role with Butler\u2019s Advancement Center, and studying for the CPA exams, Kitty is seeing the value of her education in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs I\u2019ve started studying, I\u2019ve realized how much of the material we\u2019ve already covered,\u201d she says. \u201cI feel more prepared than I would have otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That preparation is intentional, and at the heart of the MPAcc program. By emphasizing understanding over memorization and application over theory alone, the curriculum prepares students not just for exams, but for long-term success in the profession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some moments along that journey, however, extend beyond academics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During a study abroad experience in Ireland, where Kitty and her classmates examined international tax systems and global business practices, she experienced a personal milestone that made the experience even more meaningful: she got engaged. Her fianc\u00e9, John Cunningham, is also a graduate student at Lacy, underscoring just how deeply connected the community becomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat made it so special was being able to share that moment in a place that was already such a big part of my growth,\u201d Kitty says. \u201cIt felt like everything came full circle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The experience expanded her perspective on global accounting and international career possibilities, while also strengthening the relationships that define the Lacy experience \u2013 with classmates, faculty, and her future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt Lacy, you grow academically, professionally, and personally,\u201d she says. \u201cThat experience showed me all of that at once.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At its core, Kitty\u2019s story is one of intention. She\u2019s not simply earning a master\u2019s degree \u2013 she\u2019s building a career that reflects who she is, what she\u2019s experienced, and the impact she hopes to make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her advice for students considering the MPAcc program?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTake advantage of every opportunity,\u201d she says. \u201cThere are so many paths in accounting. The more you explore, the more confident you\u2019ll feel in where you\u2019re going.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For Kitty Reddy, accounting isn\u2019t just about numbers \u2013 it\u2019s about purpose.<\/p>\n

When Kitty arrived at the Lacy School of Business from Peoria, Illinois, she wasn\u2019t simply searching for a degree. She was looking for a place that would prepare her for the rigor of the CPA exams while helping her build a career aligned with the kind of impact she wanted to have. She found that foundation \u2013 and more \u2013 in Lacy\u2019s Master of Professional Accounting (MPAcc) program.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew I wanted to be fully prepared for the CPA exams,\u201d Kitty says. \u201cAnd this program really focuses on understanding, not just memorizing.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2812,"featured_media":887,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[33,32],"tags":[],"coauthors":[38],"class_list":["post-875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-careers-connections","category-student-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/875","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2812"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=875"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/875\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":901,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/875\/revisions\/901"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=875"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=875"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=875"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.butler.edu\/lacybusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=875"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}