Cal State Fullerton’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, an international honor society for accounting, finance and information systems, earned first place at a national competition sponsored by Big Four accounting firm Deloitte. The event is an opportunity for Beta Alpha Psi chapters to showcase advancements toward goals set up by the national organization. Categories for this year’s competition were titled “Impacting Inclusiveness,” “Impacting Your Profession” and “Impacting Your Community.” Due to the first-place finish, the College of Business and Economics team has advanced to the Beta Alpha Psi Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, later in 2025.
“The journey to our success at the Deloitte competition was both challenging and incredibly rewarding,” said Trinity Tran, one of the CSUF students who presented alongside teammate Coelle Ofalla-Hernando. “We built partnerships with six California institutions and professional business resource groups, creating a bridge between community colleges, universities and accounting firms. Our preparation involved designing and implementing a three-part series of virtual panels, mentorship events and networking opportunities that help students build confidence and create lasting professional relationships. The competition itself required presenting these initiatives effectively to demonstrate both our innovative approaches and the measurable results of our programs.”
Tiffany Vo and Crishalline Mae Padua received a first-place award in the “Impacting Your Profession” category for their high school mentorship program. Tran and Ofalla-Hernando showcased their Diversity Program for Accounting Connections, and similarly placed first in the “Impacting Inclusiveness” category. Peter Rosario, Billy Duarte and Nikita Karande presented their Professional Networking Community Service Initiative for the “Impacting Your Community” category, and Helen Ku presented in the “Chapter Operations” category.
The CSUF chapter of Beta Alpha Psi has been experiencing strong growth. Its newest DPAC initiative aims to build bridges between community colleges and universities while connecting aspiring accounting professionals with opportunities at major firms. To date, DPAC has connected more than 70 students from across California, bringing together participants from CSUF, Irvine Valley College, Fullerton College, Saddleback College, UC Irvine and UC Berkeley.
“Working alongside passionate teammates like Coelle, Tiffany, Helen, Crishalline, Billy, Nikita and Peter has shown me the true strength of our chapter lies in our collaborative spirit and commitment to service,” said Tran. “As members of both Beta Alpha Psi and the Business Honors Program, we’ve learned excellence comes from combining academic knowledge with a genuine desire to solve real problems. The recognition we’ve received strengthens what I’ve always believed about our chapter — that when students are empowered to lead and innovate, there’s no limit to the positive change we can create in our profession and community.”
The Cal State Fullerton chapter of Beta Alpha Psi maintains an active calendar with more than 80 events each semester. More than 90% of graduating members secure job offers before receiving their diplomas. Members have exclusive access to academic resources, career readiness workshops, peer mentoring, leadership opportunities and exclusive recruiting events.
“Through our club, our students don’t just prepare for successful careers. They become part of a supportive community dedicated to professional excellence and positive impact. The excellence of our chapter at the recent conference, with victories in multiple categories, demonstrates how we empower students to develop innovative solutions to real-world challenges in the accounting profession,” said Tran.