Mentoring Matters: Strengthening the Future of the Profession
Mentoring is a cornerstone of the accounting profession. From supporting students and CPA candidates to accelerating the growth of experienced professionals, mentoring strengthens confidence, preserves institutional knowledge and prepares future leaders. TXCPA's Mentor Match program is designed to help members build meaningful professional relationships that support their career growth and development.
By DeLynn Deakins, Today’s CPA Managing Editor
Accounting has always been a profession built on trust, expertise and relationships. While technical knowledge is essential, many of the skills that define successful CPAs – professional judgment, client communication, leadership and ethical decision-making – are developed through experience. That's where mentoring plays a critical role.
From college classrooms to executive leadership positions, mentoring helps professionals navigate career decisions, build confidence and develop the practical skills needed to succeed. It also ensures that the knowledge and values that have long defined the profession are passed from one generation to the next.
More Than Career Advice
Mentorship is often viewed as a way to help students and early-career professionals get started, but its impact extends far beyond the first years of a career. A strong mentoring relationship creates opportunities for learning, growth and professional development at every stage.
For new professionals, mentors help bridge the gap between education and practice. While accounting programs provide a strong technical foundation, mentoring offers real-world context that can't be found in a textbook. Experienced CPAs can share insights on managing client relationships, navigating workplace challenges, exercising professional skepticism and adapting to the demands of the profession.
Mentors also provide encouragement during pivotal moments, whether it's preparing for the CPA Exam, choosing a focus area, pursuing a promotion or considering a new career opportunity. Having someone who has faced similar challenges can transform uncertainty into confidence.
Developing Future Talent
Mentoring is one of the most effective ways to attract, develop and retain future CPAs. Students and CPA candidates gain firsthand exposure to the profession through conversations with experienced professionals who can answer questions, share career stories and provide guidance on the path to licensure.
These personal connections help aspiring CPAs better understand the opportunities available within the profession and can be instrumental in encouraging them to overcome academic and professional challenges. At a time when there is a continued focus on talent and workforce development, mentorship remains a powerful tool for recruiting and retaining talent.
Accelerating Professional Growth
Career advancement rarely happens by accident. Mentors help mentees identify goals, recognize opportunities and avoid common pitfalls. They offer honest feedback, share lessons learned and provide perspective that can help professionals make informed decisions about their careers.
Beyond technical expertise, mentors help cultivate essential workplace skills, including:
- Professional communication;
- Time and project management;
- Leadership development;
- Business development;
- Problem-solving; and
- Ethical decision-making.
This guidance often helps professionals advance more quickly into leadership roles and prepares them for future responsibilities as managers, partners, controllers, CFOs, educators and industry leaders.
A Two-Way Relationship
One of the biggest misconceptions about mentoring is that the benefits flow only to the mentee. In reality, the strongest mentoring relationships are mutually rewarding.
Mentors have an opportunity to refine their leadership and coaching abilities, expand their professional networks and give back to a profession that has helped shape their own careers. They also gain valuable insight into the perspectives, expectations and skills of emerging professionals.
This exchange has become increasingly important as technology continues to reshape accounting. Younger professionals often contribute fresh ideas and expertise in areas such as artificial intelligence, data analytics and digital tools, creating opportunities for "reverse mentoring" where both parties learn from one another.
The result is a partnership that benefits not only the individuals involved but also the organizations and communities they serve.
Preserving Knowledge and Strengthening the Profession
The accounting profession is built on more than standards, regulations and tax laws. Much of what makes a great CPA comes from experience – understanding how to navigate difficult conversations, manage complex client situations and apply sound professional judgment. Mentoring helps preserve this institutional knowledge and ensures it is shared with future generations.
As experienced CPAs mentor the next generation, they strengthen the profession's long-term health, credibility and resilience. The ripple effects extend well beyond individual careers, benefiting firms, organizations and the profession as a whole.
Connecting Through TXCPA's Mentor Match Program
Recognizing the value of mentorship, TXCPA offers Mentor Match, a program designed to help members build meaningful professional relationships that support career growth and development.
Built around flexibility and relationship-building, Mentor Match connects students, CPA candidates and experienced professionals based on shared interests, expertise and career goals. The program focuses on professional development – not job placement – and provides a structured way for members to learn from one another.
Through Mentor Match, mentees can gain guidance on topics such as:
- CPA Exam preparation;
- Career planning and decision-making;
- Navigating a first accounting role;
- Exploring focus areas within the profession; and
- Building confidence and professional skills.
For mentors, the program offers an opportunity to:
- Give back to the profession;
- Support future CPAs;
- Develop coaching and leadership skills;
- Stay connected to emerging trends and perspectives; and
- Build rewarding professional relationships.
Unlike a one-time networking event, Mentor Match encourages ongoing conversations that often evolve into trusted professional connections. Mentees can choose to connect with more than one mentor. Many mentoring relationships continue after the formal program ends, creating lasting value for both participants.
The program is also designed to be flexible and manageable for busy professionals. Participants create profiles, identify their interests and areas of expertise, and connect with compatible matches. Mentors can determine how many mentees they wish to support, allowing them to participate in a way that fits their schedule.
Matched pairs also determine how long the relationship lasts. Some may just need short-term mentoring, while others are seeking a longer series of discussions and connections. Mentors and mentees can connect in person, virtually or both.
One Conversation Can Make a Difference
In a profession that continues to evolve through technological innovation and changing workplace expectations, mentorship has never been more important. Whether it's helping a student envision a future in accounting, supporting a candidate through the CPA Exam process or guiding an experienced professional toward leadership, mentoring creates opportunities for growth that benefit everyone involved.
TXCPA's Mentor Match program brings that purpose to life by making meaningful connections easier to create. By linking experienced professionals with students and emerging CPAs, the program helps individuals grow, strengthens professional relationships and supports the future of the CPA profession.
Sometimes the most valuable career advice begins with a thoughtful discussion – and the insights gained can make all the difference. Go to the Community section of TXCPA’s website, then TXCPA Exchange and click on Mentor Match to learn more and find your match.
From Public Accounting to Nonprofit Leader: Why Shanda Ranelle Believes Mentorship Matters
For Shanda Ranelle, CPA-Fort Worth, mentorship is about helping others see possibilities they might otherwise overlook. In the course of her career, Shanda has worked in public accounting, higher education, nonprofit management and entrepreneurship. Today, she owns her own business providing financial and operational support to nonprofit organizations.
Looking back, she sees her career as proof of a great strength in an accounting career: flexibility. "As a CPA, you can do all sorts of things," Shanda said.
Her journey began in public accounting with PwC, but life took an unexpected turn when her son was born prematurely at 29 weeks. Rather than putting her career on hold entirely, she found a new opportunity teaching accounting courses at Texas Christian University. Later, a connection from her PwC network introduced her to a position at a private foundation, where she spent the next decade. Eventually, she launched her own consulting business serving smaller nonprofit organizations.
"It's been a very varied career path," she said. "And that's one of the things I love most about being a CPA."
Paying Forward What She Once Needed
Shanda enrolled in TXCPA's Mentor Match program after seeing communications about it and immediately recognizing its value. As a working mother who had navigated career transitions, unexpected challenges and multiple professional paths, she felt she had experiences that could help someone else. "I thought there are probably people out there who have struggled or been through transitions, and maybe I could help."
Within days of signing up, she was matched with mentee Ashley Wallace. The two met for coffee and spent more than two hours talking about careers, professional goals and future possibilities. Ashley was interested in nonprofit work and was trying to determine her next career steps.
Through their discussions, Shanda encouraged her to take a closer look at pursuing CPA licensure and to consider opportunities that aligned with her long-term goals. Today, Ashley is studying for the CPA Exam and has transitioned to working in a public accounting firm.
The Power of Honest Conversations
For Shanda, successful mentoring isn't about having all the answers. It's about creating a safe space for honest discussion. She believes the most impactful mentor-mentee relationships are built on trust, candor and mutual openness. That includes mentors being willing to share their own challenges and uncertainties.
"You might have to be vulnerable with one another," she said. "Say what you're really thinking so you can get advice back that will actually be helpful." That willingness to be transparent allows mentees to talk openly about frustrations, career doubts and ambitions, creating more meaningful and productive conversations.
A Simple Piece of Advice: Just Sign Up
When asked what she would tell someone considering the Mentor Match program, Shanda's answer is straightforward. "Just sign up."
Whether participants find a long-term mentor, gain a new perspective or simply have one valuable conversation, she believes there is little downside and tremendous potential upside. "Everyone has had different experiences and you can learn from them," she said.
For Shanda, mentorship is ultimately about connection – having someone who understands the challenges you're facing and can offer perspective gained through experience. "It's always great to have someone who has walked in the shoes you're hoping to walk in," she said.
As both a mentor and CPA, Shanda sees the Mentor Match program as an opportunity to strengthen the profession one relationship at a time – while helping the next generation discover just how many possibilities a CPA career can offer.
How Mentor Match Helped Open New Doors for TXCPA Member Ashley Wallace
When Ashley Wallace returned to the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic, she wasn't just changing careers – she was starting over. After years working overseas, Ashley and her family had to return to the U.S. when visa renewals became impossible during the global shutdown. With the need for a second household income, she made a decision that would change her future: go back to school and finish earning a degree.
Today, Ashley has earned both her bachelor's degree and a master's degree in accounting, is preparing for the CPA Exam, and works at a public accounting firm. She credits TXCPA's Mentor Match program and her mentor Shanda Ranelle, CPA-Fort Worth, with helping her recognize opportunities she hadn't seen before.
"My mentor helped me understand how much I was worth and kind of reach for something I didn't know I was really able to do," Ashley said. "It impacted my career and family life in a very positive way."
Finding Her Place in Accounting
Ashley didn't originally plan on becoming an accountant. In fact, her introduction to the profession came while helping her husband with accounting coursework in his graduate program. "I was tutoring him through master's-level accounting classes and realized it came naturally to me," she said. "I love the logic and the puzzle-solving aspect of accounting."
She completed her bachelor's degree in 2024 and enrolled in Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi's online master's degree program, graduating in about a year’s time. As a student member of TXCPA, she attended local chapter events and quickly noticed something unique about the profession.
"Everyone was encouraging and willing to answer questions," she said. "It showed me that while accounting may be competitive to get into, once you're in, people genuinely want to see each other succeed. I really appreciate that community and helpfulness."
A Mentor Who Changed Her Perspective
While working in an accounting role, Ashley enrolled in TXCPA's Mentor Match program to connect with accounting professionals. What she gained was much more than answers about licensing requirements.
At the time, Ashley was working in an accounting position with limited benefits and career growth opportunities. Through conversations with her mentor, Shanda Ranelle, she began to see a broader range of possibilities within the profession. "My mentor helped me see that with my master's degree and experience, I was capable of doing more than where I was," she said.
Those conversations gave her the confidence to pursue new opportunities. Today, she works in public accounting, gaining experience across multiple industries while working alongside CPAs who can support her licensure journey. "Working under CPAs has opened up a whole new world of possibilities," she said.
The Value of Multiple Perspectives
One feature of Mentor Match that Ashley especially appreciates is its flexibility. Instead of relying on a single connection, she reached out to several mentors and gained insight from each. "I learned from all of them," she said.
For Ashley, mentoring wasn't simply about career advice. It was about gaining confidence, expanding her professional network and discovering opportunities she had not considered before. As she looks ahead to completing the CPA Exam and continuing to grow her career, she's excited by the variety of paths available in accounting.
"There are so many opportunities and so much more to learn," she said. "I’ve seen that the possibilities are endless."
Ashley's experience reflects the power of Mentor Match: one conversation can provide guidance, but meaningful mentoring relationships can reshape a career.
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