By Joe Camacho
Business assistant professor Chin-Yen Alice Liu was involved in a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance coalition (VITA) program for two years when she met one of her students in a tax assistance training class.
Since 2007, business senior Abier Mohamed has volunteered every tax season with VITA. Currently, Mohamed is Liu’s only student volunteer.
“It gives me hands-on experience,” Mohamed said.
VITA is a national volunteer income tax assistance program that provides free income tax service to people with incomes less than $55,000. VITA has 23 sites in San Antonio.
The financial self-sufficiency program is a collaboration of public and private entities dedicated to public service.
Local colleges and universities, financial institutions and other non-profit organizations provide support in a variety of ways to the Coalition, according to VITA’s website.
Sheila Ruth, VITA San Antonio program coordinator said the program averages about 550 volunteers per year.
“Most student volunteers come from the Alamo Colleges,” Ruth said.
She said anyone can volunteer and the organization accepts volunteer applications year-round. Volunteers are required to attend 16 hours of training.
Liu said she encourages students to volunteer with the organization. This is a chance for students to apply knowledge from her course, Quantitative Methods for Business, BUAD 3301.
Liu has volunteered with VITA for two years and is also an assistant trainer for the coalition.
Anyone can volunteer, Liu explained, but participants are required to attend training that begins every December.
“I always encourage my students to have some hands-on exercises,” Liu said. “VITA is a program that students can apply whatever they have learned from the class into the actual situation…meanwhile, they can also provide the services to the community.”
Income taxes are covered in two chapters of Liu’s quantitative methods class.
“In the class, we try to make students really understand the theory,” Liu said.
Mohamed’s service with VITA began as part of a requirement for an income tax course she completed at St. Philip’s College. She quickly learned she enjoyed working with people and serving the community.
Mohamed is a graduate of St. Philip’s College through the Accounting Technician program.
While she was able to gain hands-on experience, she said the satisfaction of helping others is why she continues to volunteer.
Mohamed said she recommends volunteering for anyone who likes to interact with people and serve the community. She also recommends volunteering to any accounting major.
For more information, visit the VITA webpage, or call 210-222-2975.
