Marching toward an Accounting career

"I like how as a class, we always try to do get-togethers and just talk. It feels like I'm at home when I'm here."

Charlee McCullum has always liked math and is detail-oriented. Because of that, her mom suggested she explore accounting, which led her to the Accounting Services program at Francis Tuttle Technology Center.

The Edmond Santa Fe High School senior ended up falling in love with the program and plans to major in accounting at the University of Central Oklahoma.

So far, McCullum has earned both her Microsoft Word and Excel certifications. She said her time at Francis Tuttle has prepared her for college by introducing her to the software used in the profession and different areas of accounting like bookkeeping and payroll.

For McCullum, the flexibility of Francis Tuttle has been helpful because she is a member of her high school marching band. McCullum is also a member of the National Honor Society and enjoys volunteering in the community.

“Having a choice between the AM and PM schedule really helped me because band is first hour,” McCullum shared. “You can choose which one works best for your schedule and can go to any of your extracurricular events. It won’t count against you, and I’ve never had to worry about what was done in class because we work at our own pace.”

As fifth graders, McCullum and her classmates were able to try different instruments. The next year, she focused on clarinet, which she fell in love with partly because of an artist on YouTube who she wanted to be like one day.

In October, the band was crowned Regional Grand Champions at the Bands of America Competition in Flagstaff, Ariz. It marked the first time a group from central Oklahoma has earned the honor, and McCullum said she and her band mates felt “so proud and happy” when they made history. The band brought home a total of nine trophies, including Outstanding Music Performance, Outstanding Visual Performance, and Outstanding General Effect.