03/25/2025
What an excellent story about one of our volunteers!
The HKY Free Tax Preparation site will help over 1,900 people get their taxes prepared and efiled this year. That amounts to 2.5 million tax refund money coming back to our community. Twenty-six volunteers, including Kevin M, do this public uplift initiative.
📢 Student Spotlight: Kevin Matthews – Future CPA in the Making! 📢
Meet Kevin Matthews, an accounting student at HCC with big dreams and an even bigger heart for helping others!
Originally from California, Kevin has called Henderson home for 17 years and values the close-knit support of his mom and older brother. His maternal grandmother, a retired CPA in Florida, inspired him to pursue accounting and is one of his biggest cheerleaders.
After earning his AAS in Accounting at HCC, Kevin plans to transfer to the University of Louisville’s online accountancy program to continue his journey.
👨💼 Gaining Real-World Experience:
Kevin volunteers with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, which offers free tax preparation help to people with low to moderate income, persons with disabilities, the elderly, and limited English-speaking taxpayers.
Volunteer & Information Center Executive Director Susan Sauls shares that when she met Kevin last fall and mentioned the VITA program, his eyes lit up. “He’s there almost every time the doors open and is an asset to our overall VITA program,” Susan added.
“It’s a great program with wonderful people,” Kevin said. “Volunteering is a fantastic way to get experience, meet new people, and boost your resume!”
He’s also just started an internship with ATA Henderson, a local firm that provides accounting, auditing, tax, and advisory services. “Accounting-related openings, especially for students without experience, are extremely hard to find,” Kevin explained. “I was able to identify this opportunity by being proactive, persistent, and networking. The first thing I did was call my grandma and tell her the good news!”
💙 Shoutouts:
Kevin gives a big THANK YOU to HCC’s Angie Watson & Dr. Chad Phillips for their guidance and support. Fun fact—he interned with Angie, who is HCC’s Career Services Coordinator, coordinating the Handshake program which connects students with local job and internship opportunities.
🐾 When he’s not crunching numbers, Kevin enjoys spending time with his two dogs and cat—Nami, Laska & Shiva!
We’re proud to have Kevin at HCC and can’t wait to see where his journey takes him! 🎓📈
