(Butler, PA) A New Castle resident and honors graduate in Butler County Community College’s Class of 2026 has received from a Philadelphia nonprofit organization a $1,000 scholarship that recognizes her academic achievements.
Allison Mosley completed the college’s 62-credit virtual associate degree program in accounting and graduated cum laude, a recognition for those with a final grade-point average of 3.25 to 3.49. She also achieved BC3 president’s list honors after earning a grade-point average of at least 3.75 in the fall 2025 semester.
Mosley is one of 63 higher education recipients statewide of a 2026 financial award from the Pennsylvania Certified Public Accountant Foundation, which is associated with the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs.
Community college students or recent graduates such as Mosley must have earned at least a 3.0 grade-point average to be eligible for the foundation’s financial awards.
The foundation states that its mission is to inspire students to pursue careers in accounting and to provide educational, motivational and financial support to those working to attain the CPA credential.
“I have to work full time. I needed to have control of my schedule. I chose BC3 because I wanted the most affordable and direct route to being able to work as soon as possible. I was striving for the associate degree so I could break into that accounting world.”
-- Allison Mosley, BC3 Class of 2026
After graduating from Neshannock Junior-Senior High School in 2017, Mosley enrolled in a hospitality management bachelor’s degree program at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C., and, after one year, questioned her career pursuit and returned to New Castle.
She then found employment in positions such as a stock manager, office manager and paralegal in Lawrence County.
“I restarted my academic journey in 2024 after taking some time to think about the skills I’d learned through work experience over the years so that I could try to decide what path would fit me best,” Mosley said.
“I landed in the accounting world because I am analytical, I like problem-solving and I am good with patterns and trends.”
Mosley transferred to BC3 in fall 2024 and at 27 years old was among the 39 percent of graduates in the college’s Class of 2026 who were at least 25.
“I have to work full time,” Mosley said. “I needed to have control of my schedule. I chose BC3 because I wanted the most affordable and direct route to being able to work as soon as possible. I was striving for the associate degree so I could break into that accounting world.”
“Employers often look for that real experience”
Mosley said she attained her current full-time position in May 2025 as an accounting manager at a business and management consulting firm in Harmony as a result of a reference from Laura Wiest.
Wiest is an instructor in BC3’s business and information technology division, coordinator of the college’s accounting program and Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs member.
“Thanks to Laura, I have been working full time in public accounting for the last year learning valuable skills, and I am only halfway through my academic journey,” Mosley said. “Employers often look for that real experience and so I am grateful that through her connections I am able to have this opportunity.”
Mosley has transferred to Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business administration with the goal of working as a corporate accountant.
Accounting is one of nine associate degree, certificate or workplace certificate programs offered virtually by BC3’s business and information technology division.
Her scholarship brings to 12 the number awarded by the foundation to students in or recent graduates of BC3’s business and information technology division in the past three years.
The division’s associate degree programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, Overland Park, Kan.