Paul Moritz received a $10,000 merit scholarship from the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. He plans to use the scholarship to earn his master’s degree in accounting from UMSL. (Photo by Jen Hatton)

Earning his master’s degree in accounting will be a little easier for Paul Moritz thanks to a $10,000 merit scholarship he was awarded from the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

Moritz, received his bachelor’s degree in accounting in May from the University of Missouri–St. Louis. He plans to begin the master’s program at UMSL this fall.

“It was unbelievable news,” said Moritz, about learning of the scholarship. “It will definitely take care of most of the cost of my master’s program, which really helps out a lot. It will allow me to focus on the program and on my classes without worrying about anything else. I am very thankful.”

After graduating from Parkway West High School in Ballwin, Mo., he chose UMSL.

“UMSL was the best choice for me,” said Moritz, a resident of Maryland Heights, Mo. “UMSL gave me the opportunity to both go into accounting, which is what I always knew I wanted to do, and to continue my baseball career. I grew up in St. Louis, and coming to UMSL felt like home to me.”

In addition to his classes, Moritz was an active member of the UMSL baseball team. Wearing No. 13 and playing second base, he found it refreshing to both play hard on the field and work hard in the classroom.

“Paul Moritz is an impressive young man,” said Greg Geisler, associate professor of accounting. “Maintaining a 4.0 GPA as an accounting major, while taking a full slate of classes every semester and being an athlete, is an accomplishment that is extremely rare.”

Giesler and other faculty members in the Department of Accounting at UMSL nominated him for a scholarship. The annual merit-based scholarship was awarded to 84 students this year.

“It’s an honor to receive this scholarship and to have the backing of Dr. Giesler and others in the department who support me and recommended me for this amazing honor,” he said.

Moritz is completing his summer internship at RubinBrown in Clayton, Mo.

“I am currently working in their business advisory services department, but have had a chance to work in several areas,” he said. “I’m not exactly sure what I’d like my specialty to be, and this has given me a chance to experience different areas.”

After he earns his master’s degree, Moritz would like to stay in St. Louis and work for one of the big firms.

“I’m so grateful to UMSL,” he said. “UMSL has given me a great education, a great extracurricular experience and provided me an opportunity to make some lifelong friends.”