A team of Cameron University students was named the undergraduate level winner of the 2022 National Government Finance Case Challenge, sponsored by the Association of Government Accountants. Tiffany Bass, Natalie Martin and Taylor Rowley, who were students in CU’s Government Accounting class taught by Bernadette Lonzanida, senior instructor, in Fall 2022, each received a $1,000 scholarship award. The competition was open to graduate and undergraduate students nationwide.
Bass is a sophomore from Cache who is pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Martin and Rowley are seniors from Lawton; each is pursuing a Bachelor of Accounting degree.
This is the first time that Cameron students joined the competition. For the challenge, student teams analyzed data for a state, city or county government specified by AGA and then developed a Citizen-Centric Report (CCR), which is part of the requirement for AGA’s Certificate of Excellence in Accountability. The CCR initiative helps simplify communication between government and its citizens, who have a right to accurate information about the way their government spends their taxpayer dollars. The CU team created its CCR for the City of Lawton; the document is now a part of the city’s financial report.
According to AGA, the case challenge experience raises student awareness of the importance of government accountability and transparency, helps students learn how much data is available that needs to be turned into information for citizens to consume, and raises awareness about careers in government.
Submissions were judged by a panel of government finance experts. Named as a finalist in November, the CU team presented its findings in a team-created video of a mock government meeting.
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PR# 23-003
