John Tuy, Accounting

John Tuy says a Salvation Army social worker helped put him on the track to success.

Years ago, the social worker tutored Tuy, a 5-year-old Cambodian immigrant who did not speak English. Tuy was dealing with family turmoil, an international move, and a mom who worked two jobs. Tuy says the social worker did more than teach him basic English language skills: she taught him how to learn, how to ask for help, and that tenacity pays off.

Although Tuy was an honors graduate in high school, he was admitted to USF on academic probation, with one semester to prove he could handle college work. Tuy followed the lessons he learned from the social worker. He asked for help, found tutors, and met with professors outside of class. He will graduate next semester and has a 3.93 accounting GPA.

His quest for an internship began the same way. Tuy networked with alumni and sought out industry leaders. Last summer, he was a “discovery intern” with PricewaterhouseCoopers. He learned about the firm’s lines of service and participated in simulated filings. He participated in a personal branding training and traveled with one of the firm’s partners for a job shadowing experience.  Additionally, he recently won a speech contest sponsored by Grant Thornton.

Tuy is paying success forward by working with a rehabilitation agency to help recovering addicts learn how to manage their weekly finances.