Josenian Jacob Rizada took the sixth spot of the May 2019 Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Licensure Examination.
His exam rating is 87.33 — the highest examination rating among all Cebu graduates who took the three day examination on May 12, 19, and 20.
In October 2018, he finished Bachelor of Science in Accountancy and graduated Cum Laude in the University of San Jose-Recoletos.
USJ-R is the only Center of Development for Accountancy grantee in the Visayas.
“Wala man ko nag-expect nga mo-top pero hopeful ko,” he said.
The 22-year-old CPA narrated that he wished to top the licensure examination to fulfill his promise to his late father.
“Before namatay akong papa, ni-promise ko niya nga mo-top ko sa board (exam),” he recalled.
He lost his father due to cardiac arrest in 2017. They lost him eight days before his father’s 58th birthday.
Despite being heartbroken, Rizada moved forward. He used the oath he made on his father’s deathbed as a motivation to study for the licensure examination.
After finishing his collegiate studies which lasted for four and a half years, he enrolled in an intensive review program at the CPA Review Center of USJ-R. Jimwell Sitoy who ranked ninth in the same exam, also reviewed at USJ-R for one semester with him before he reviewed by himself when the licensure examination was approaching.
He studied two to three hours more on top of the 8AM to 5PM daily review schedule in the university. Despite this, he makes sure that he has ample time to breathe and relax by playing Mobile Legends. On top it, he regularly attends a spiritual gathering.
“Usual na man na nga mag-study hard. Have faith in God lang gyud. Pangayo niya,” he added.
After passing the licensure examination, he intends to work at SGV. It is the auditing firm which sponsored his review program.
In the future, he also hopes to build a foundation which grants scholarships to indigent youth who hopes to study.
Written by Lorraine Mitzi A. Ambrad
