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PLEASANT GROVE -- Financial scandals over the last year helped spark our recession and damage public trust in business. But as part of our KSL Schools project, we found hope for the future in a Utah student from Pleasant Grove High.
Bernie Madoff, AIG, Fannie Mae, Freddy Mac, Countrywide are names we've come to know recently associated with questionable accounting. Now here's a name you don't know: Brynn Wallentine. She's a Pleasant Grove High School student who wants to restore faith in finance and accounting.
"People want to be able to trust their accountant," Wallentine said.
Wallentine placed Top 10 in the nation in accounting for the Future Business Leaders of America program. She believes the profession must place a higher priority on ethics.
"As we can see, obviously, they're not very important to some people, which is where the problem comes in. But I think when you're dealing with something like accounting, ethics should be extremely important," Wallentine said.
Her philosophy: Making money, but doing it with a focus on helping people. Armed with that believe and a knack for numbers, Wallentine has a bright future.
Accounting is in her genes, her dad and brother studied it. But with all her abilities, there's one number even she couldn't manipulate.
"I took the test that I won the award for on my birthday, so birthday luck I guess," Wallentine said.
Her next equation includes studying accounting in college.
We want to learn about your high school's success stories for our KSL Schools project on KSL.com.
E-mail: dwimmer@ksl.com
