The CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois — the charitable partner of the Illinois CPA Society — said Wednesday it is gifting laptops to accounting students impacted by college closures due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
With Illinois schools closing due to the outbreak, students are being forced to turn to their own personal computers to continue their educations, creating a problem for those who have previously relied on school computers and technology for their work.
In response, the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois is gifting 16 laptops to accounting students across nine Illinois schools, including DePaul University, Governors State University, Illinois State University, Loyola University, Northeastern Illinois University, Oakton Community College, Roosevelt University, the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of St. Francis.
“This laptop means the world to me, especially since all my classes are now online,” said Noe Navarro, a student at Governors State University and one of the laptop recipients, in a statement. “I didn’t have the ability to complete any of the assignments or even learn from my professors’ lectures. Now I can learn from my instructors, pass my classes and become an accountant.”
“Delivering laptops to deserving students during this health crisis is a very tangible way the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois can make a difference in their lives during a very trying time,” said Kari Natale, senior director of the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois, in a statement. “The COVID-19 pandemic has upended their semesters and, as much as possible, we want to make sure it doesn’t upend their studies or their futures in the accounting profession.”
For more on the initiative, head to the ICPAS's
