Noelle Brossman ’14 Continues VITA Legacy

Every year, Lebanon Valley College students contribute numerous hours of community service to the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, which assists low-income, elderly, and otherwise disadvantaged taxpayers in completing their federal, state, and local taxes.

The VITA program offers tax return preparation services at no cost for the local Lebanon community and LVC students. The College collaborates with the Lebanon County Community Action Partnership to offer the free service.

For the 2017 tax season, Noelle Brossman ’14 served as the VITA site coordinator and quality reviewer for the College. Brossman reviewed the quality of student-prepared returns and assisted with the more difficult returns. 

“Through the program, students are given an opportunity to apply their knowledge and develop customer service skills,” Brossman said. “Over the years, the program has established a relationship with the community that keeps residents returning each year.”

Brossman graduated from LVC in 2014 with a dual degrees in accounting and business administration. During her time at The Valley, Brossman was actively involved in the VITA program for three years.

“The VITA program is a great example of student citizenship and the College’s commitment to service,” Brossman said. “We had a very dedicated group of students involved this year, and my hope is that they help the program continue to grow in the years to come.”

Brossman now works in the business office at Annville-Cleona School District, where she was an intern while a student at LVC. She also teaches the VITA tax lab at the College as an adjunct professor. She received her MBA from Penn State and will attend Wilkes University’s Master of School Business Leadership program this fall.

Current LVC students handle all scheduling, client check-in activities, and preparation of tax returns. VITA volunteers study various training materials and must pass several exams to obtain the certification required by the IRS to prepare returns through the program. 

Rachel Youngs ’17, an accounting and business administration dual major, volunteers to learn how to maximize tax refunds and for the reward of helping community members.

“VITA gives you actual experience of having clients and performing their tax returns,” Youngs said. “As a volunteer, I not only gain the knowledge to do federal, state, and local taxes, but I also get to know members of the community and work on my communication skills. The people that come in are so grateful for this free tax service, which makes the program so rewarding for its volunteers.”

After her graduation in May, Youngs will continue her education in LVC’s MBA program before attaining her CPA and working as an auditor at a public accounting firm.

The VITA program at the College managed to offer free tax preparation services to more than 125 clients each year and student volunteers span a variety of majors, including accounting, accounting/MBA, business administration, and economics.

 

 

Rachel Anderson for LVC 430 Feature Writing