Cover Story
By Patrick Schryburt, Tiana Mah, and Michelle McRae
Top of Their Class
Meet our award-winning graduates and honour roll students for 2013
As we contemplated the editorial content for this issue—our first January issue of CPABC in Focus—we saw an
opportunity to both honour and break from our respective legacy traditions by celebrating our newest graduates
and honour roll students together in one magazine. Collectively, they symbolize the promising future of the CPA
profession. Without further ado, here are the CGA-BC top 10 graduates, the CMABC medal and award-winning
graduates, and the ICABC UFE honour roll students for 2013.
2013 CGA-BC Top Ten Graduates
CGA-BC recently honoured the 10 graduates who achieved the highest overall marks: May Amero, Shailene Caparas, Ryan Castaneda (2013 valedictorian), Wendy Howell, Tamara Isaak, Judi Li, Cong Marilyn Liu, Ruby (Xiao Hong) Lu, Barbara Shelton, and Yan Wang. Their profiles here are
listed in alphabetical order.
May Amero, CPA, CGA
Shailene Caparas, CPA, CGA
Birthplace & current city of residence: Beijing,
P.R. China; Vancouver, BC.
Birthplace & current city of residence: Vigan
City, the Philippines; Vancouver, BC.
Employer & position: Fresh Tracks Canada Inc.;
controller.
Employer & position: Congregation Beth Israel;
accounting manager.
What’s your favourite memory/moment of the
program? My favourite moment was when I
received a letter from CGA-BC congratulating me for being one of
the top 10 graduates.
What’s your favourite memory/moment of the
program? I really enjoyed the mutual encouragement and support from my student colleagues throughout the program.
Who would you like to thank for providing support during your
studies? There are two people who were very important to me: my
mentor, Marissa Velarde (a fellow CGA) and John Parker, the CEO of
Fresh Tracks.
Who would you like to thank for providing support during your
studies? The Lord Jesus Christ, who gave me the abilities and strength
to fulfil my dream of becoming a CGA. I am also grateful to my family
and friends and my professional colleagues, especially Lisa Payne and
Shannon Etkin, for their utmost support and profound understanding.
What’s next? The Laurentian University MBA program. Learning
never stops, I guess.
What’s next? I want to earn an MBA to enhance my skills and become
a better professional.
What do you like to do when you’re not working? I do yoga twice a
week, windsurfing in the summer, ice skating and snowboarding in
the winter, and go travelling whenever possible. I am going to India for
three weeks in January.
What do you like to do when you’re not working? I manage SeedCare
International Ministries, a Canadian charitable organization for underprivileged pastors in the Philippines and other nations overseas. I
also enjoy exploring the world through mission trips and personal
travel.
Photos of CGA-BC Top Ten by Ron Sangha Productions.
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CPABC in Focus • Jan 2014