A group of students from the course pose with Klaus, Dean Sulin Ba, and a representative from Ladder Up.When they started their winter quarter, DePaul accounting students Swapna George and Paola Romero looked forward to getting hands-on tax preparation experience as part of a new, two-credit class.
What they didn’t expect was forging a deeper connection with the community around them.
“It was very fulfilling,” said Romero. “It was even a little emotional. [Our clients] were low-income families; getting a return or not owing anything was very important to them.”
“A lot of the clients coming in were a little older,” said George. “I’m the oldest daughter of immigrants. I’ve seen my grandparents be alone as they’re going through [that kind of] stuff. When I see older people that are struggling, I think of them.”
New two-credit class builds on industry connection
Romero, George, and 28 other DePaul students spent this winter quarter working as volunteer tax preparers for Ladder Up, a nonprofit that offers free tax preparation to low-income Chicagoans.
DePaul students have volunteered for Ladder Up before – many of them thanks to guidance from Kent Klaus (BUS ’81), a senior instructor in accounting. Klaus worked for many years as a partner at Deloitte, where he volunteered for the nonprofit himself.
Klaus launched the two-credit course, ACC 212, to build on this work. Over the course of ten weeks, DePaul students contributed over 300 volunteer hours and generated refunds and tax benefits for the community valued at just over $216,000.
“Many of my students have told me that this was probably one of the best learning experiences they’ve had at DePaul because it’s so hands-on,” he said. “It’s a real complement to what they learn in our curriculum.”
Program offers unique learning experiences
Working with Ladder Up exposes students to programs and credits aimed at low-income taxpayers – an area that many tax pros get little, if any, experience with.
“Our students do not typically have the chance to use their tax and accounting skills to serve the community,” said Klaus. “It’s rewarding to be in a position where someone’s benefitting from your work.”
“There are so many credits that could apply to low-income [situations] that people don’t really know about,” said Romero. “Having someone tell you that they exist in the first place is very important.”
Working with low-income Chicagoans who rely on services like Ladder Up also offered students an education in how to work with clients.
“With clients in general – but especially in this kind of setting – I feel that it’s very important to build a rapport,” said George. “When you’re underprivileged, a lot of the services that are offered for free are underfunded and understaffed. A lot of people have been let down by the system. They distrust the system. And I would feel the same way.”
George would engage with clients about her education at DePaul, she said. By the time the conversation ended, they’d often offer words of support and encouragement.
Connecting to the city through service
For both Romero and George, the experience is proving invaluable as they apply to internships and navigate their career paths.
“I’ve spoken to some recruiters and hiring managers,” said Romero, “and when they see that on your resume, they ask about it. They see it as not only technical experience but as interest. You went out of your way to focus on this topic and be involved in your community.”
The experience is also prompting the students to reimagine the city, and their place in it.
“As a person who has higher education experience, it’s important to be aware how so many people don’t have that opportunity, even in your own neighborhood,” said Romero.
“I think as a student – especially as a student that goes to a private school – you're very much enclosed,” said George. “This was a really great way to connect with the Greater Chicagoland population.”
“Overall, this is probably one of my favorite classes I’ve ever taken at DePaul,” she added. “I felt like as volunteers, we had our own little community.”