Accounting Department Annual Awards Banquet

VITA Students Earn Valuable Scholarships

Thanks to alumni donors Harriet and Harvey Bookstein (’70) and Peter Rivera (’88), some of the most dedicated and brightest accounting and finance students in the David Nazarian College of Business and Economics at CSUN received valuable scholarships for their work at the VITA Clinic in 2025.

“The caliber and commitment of our student volunteers during the 2025 tax season was excellent,” said Rafael Efrat, Bookstein Chair in Taxation and director of the CSUN VITA Clinic. “These scholarship winners not only have a bright future in accounting and finance, but also proved their skills by going above and beyond in service to low-income taxpayers in our community.”

Recognized for their exemplary service at the VITA Clinic, eight student clinicians received $1,000 scholarships from the Bookstein VITA Endowment:

• Diego Ardon – Accounting
• Marisa Morales Chanaz – Finance
• Kevin Fein – Accounting
• Andres Gonzalez – Accounting
• Ashley Gonzalez – Accounting
• David Murphy – Finance
• Thuan Vong – Accounting
• Michelle Wing – Accounting

Additionally, one student received the $1,000 Kelley Rivera Tax Diva Scholarship:

• Denise Palma – Accounting

The VITA Endowment was established through the generosity of the Booksteins, who are long-time Nazarian College donors. The Rivera Scholarship was established by Peter Rivera to honor his late wife, Kelley Rivera (’86).