A Notre Dame College alumna has been honored for her professional and personal authenticity by the Ohio Society of CPAs.
Tawny Flareau, a 2017 graduate of Notre Dame and certified public accountant serving as a tax senior at GBQ, the largest independent accounting and consulting firm in Central Ohio, has been named a CPA of Ohio.
“I knew I wanted to be an accountant the day I walked into Intermediate Accounting I that was taught by Professor Natalie Strouse. That semester fueled my passion for numbers and solving complex accounting theories,” Flareau said.
Flareau earned her Bachelor of Arts with a double major in accounting and finance from the College in 2017. She immediately started work as a staff account at GBQ in Cincinnati and worked her way to senior status at the Columbus firm in two years. GBQ is a tax, consulting and accounting firm with four locations in two states.
“Helping out clients and businesses—I genuinely love what I do,” Flareau said. “I also love being a CPA because it’s so brain stimulating. It’s not the same thing every single day. You constantly evolve and change as a professional.”
While at Notre Dame, Flareau served as site coordinator for the College’s annual service center providing free income tax preparation services for low-income Cuyahoga County residents. She also worked as accounts payable support staff in the Notre Dame athletic office.
“I knew I wanted to become a Certified Public Accountant when I was chosen to run the IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program and saw the positive impact I was making on the low-income families that the Notre Dame College site serviced,” she said. “Having the opportunity to help families, small and large businesses, charitable organizations and more just with numbers gives me the self-satisfaction I need in my career daily.”
While a student at Notre Dame, Flareau completed an account manager and financial internship with InTouch Application, a company that enables micro-location user engagement and tracking in mobile applications, including fee payment services.
She also was a member of the Notre Dame Entrepreneurship Club and captain of the Falcons women’s volleyball team.
“Moving to Cleveland, Ohio, from Los Angeles, California, alone at the age of 18 was a scary jump to take as entering my new chapter in life, and the Notre Dame College campus, staff and students welcomed me with open arms. and for that I am forever grateful,” Flareau said.
CPAs of Ohio highlights accounting professionals from around the state in a personal, authentic way, publishing a CPA of Ohio each week.
“To the students who are on the fence about taking the CPA exam, do it,” she said. “That is the best advice I took from my accounting teachers at Notre Dame College. Having those three letter behind your name will open doors you didn’t even know existed.”
December 2020
About Notre Dame College
For almost a century, Notre Dame College has educated a diverse population in the liberal arts for personal, professional and global responsibility. Founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1922, the College has grown strategically to keep pace with the rapidly changing needs of students and the dramatic changes in higher education. But it has never lost sight of its emphasis on teaching students not only how to make a good living but also how to live a good life.
Today, the College offers bachelor’s degrees in 30 disciplines plus a variety of master’s degrees, certification programs and continuing and professional development programs for adult learners on campus and online. Notre Dame College offers NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletic programs for men and women and is located in a picturesque residential neighborhood just 25 minutes from the heart of Cleveland. Hallmarks of the Notre Dame experience include stimulating academics, personalized attention of dedicated faculty and staff, and small class sizes.
Notre Dame College is located at 4545 College Road in South Euclid. For further information contact pr@ndc.edu.