With the 2018 YCLA Gala Event coming up this Saturday,  November 10th, 2018, the Young Caymanian Leaders Foundation wanted to take the time to share more on each of our finalists – focusing on Staci Scott today!

Staci Scott is a young Caymanian professional with a passion for lifelong learning and a fierce belief in the great potential of Caymanian youth. A native of Cayman Brac, Staci graduated summa cum laude from Elon University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting in May 2013, where she received an award in recognition of having attained the highest grades within her major.

Staci is a Certified Public Accountant (North Carolina, USA) and is currently an audit manager at KPMG within the asset management practice. In 2016, she also completed a secondment at KPMG’s New York City office, which enabled her to gain international experience. At KPMG, Staci has served as an active member of both the Scholarship and Corporate Citizenship Committees since 2014. As a member of the Scholarship Committee, she acts as a mentor and resource for young Caymanians within the firm, guiding them as they progress through the scholarship program and as new employees. As a part of the Corporate Citizenship Committee, Staci has organized Christmas donation drives and various other projects within the Cayman community and is a part of the Committee subgroup focused on lifelong learning.

Since returning home from university 5 years ago, Staci has seized every opportunity to make a difference in the learning and lives of students within Cayman. She has volunteered with KPMG and Literacy is for Everyone’s Paired Reading program at Red Bay Primary School, is a mentor to A-level and university students through Cayman Finance, and has taught high school students money management and career skills through Junior Achievement’s Economics for Success program. She has also taught local bachelor’s and master’s degree students analytical and presentation skills through KPMG’s Ace the Case business skills course. She is a mentor with 100 Women in Finance’s NextGen mentorship program and is also a “big sister” or lifelong mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters in Cayman.

In September 2017, Staci was honored to receive the Cayman Islands Institute of Professional Accountants’ first Rising Star Award in recognition of her career achievements to date as well as her community impact.

Age:  26

Degree: Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Elon University

Employment: Audit Manager in Asset Management at KPMG Cayman Islands

Accomplishments:

• 2017 Recipient of the Cayman Islands Institute of Professional Accountant’s Rising Star Award
• Graduated from Elon University summa cum laude, having attained a 3.94 GPA (4.0 scale)
• Received the Academic Excellence Award in Accounting from Elon University’s Love School of Business in recognition of demonstrating superior academic achievement and possessing the potential for intellectual and professional growth
• Achieved an average score of 90 on the U.S. Certified Public Accountant exams, passing all four exam sections within four weeks
• Developed a pen pal program between year 5 and 6 students in Cayman and their counterparts in South Africa to promote literacy and cultural awareness, and was awarded a trip to partner with the Restless Development organization in Uganda as a result. In Uganda, Staci provided accounting software and finance training to the organization’s employees

Advocacy:

Lifelong learning through mentorship

Core Message to the Youth:

“You can do anything and never stop learning. The tendency in Cayman is to believe that we’re limited here because we’re so small, but the opposite is true. There are so many amazing organizations in our community who are committed to making great things happen for you, our youth. With our community’s help and your determination, you can do anything you put your mind to. So keep learning and keep trying.”

Personal Interpretation of “It Takes a Village:”

“The theme/phrase “It Takes a Village” highlights one key truth to me: that we are all interdependent and made better for it. We all have different skills, interests, and strengths and have the responsibility to use them to make a positive difference in our community and, specifically, to our young people. Cayman perhaps isn’t a “village” in the usual sense, but the ethos is the same – we are a small community and the mentorship of our youth and success of our country depends on all of us. We all have a part to play in ensuring that the young people of Cayman are nurtured and supported no matter their personal circumstances and that the things we hold dear – faith, culture, family, among others – are preserved.”

We are so proud to call Staci Scott one of our Finalists this year and can’t wait to celebrate her and the other four finalists at this year’s YCLA 2018 Gala Event!

YCLA 2018 EVENT DETAILS

This year’s gala event will be held this Saturday, November 10th, at the Kimpton Seafire to celebrate and honor this year’s YCLA 2018 Finalists – Kacey Mobley, Kimberley Conolly, Samuel Young, Staci Scott, and Wilbur Welcome.  The theme is “It Takes a Village.” Doors open for the reception at 6 pm. At 6:45, doors are closed to accommodate the live telecast. Doors re-open after the broadcast for the remainder of the evening to celebrate.  Ticket sales are closed, but if you would like to still watch the ceremony where we highlight the finalists and announce the recipient, you can watch the live telecast on our Facebook Page >>HERE<<.