Imagine not paying a dime for your senior year of college.
That’s the case for Cody Truitt, a senior in accounting who took advantage of the Amazon Career Choice Program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, which offers tuition assistance to Amazon employees.
Truitt had started his undergraduate degree a couple of times through the years, but each time, life had gotten in the way. During COVID, he resolved to finish it and enrolled at UMKC because of its convenience, value and ease of transferring.
“It just fit perfectly,” Truitt said.
He knew he would do whatever it took to complete his degree, whether it meant working overnights or overtime to pay for school. He got a job at Amazon to earn extra money, where he soon learned about the career choice program.
“Amazon rocks because they paid for the entirety of my senior year,” Truitt said. “I only wish I had discovered this as a freshman.”
At first, Truitt admitted he was skeptical it may be too good to be true, but to his surprise, the process was simple.
“I figured there were going to be some hoops to jump through, that it wouldn't really work, there'd be some fine print somewhere,” Truitt said. “The moment that I noticed that it worked out, when I checked my UMKC account for what I owed for the semester and I saw $0, I was extremely elated.”
Thanks to Amazon paying his senior year, Truitt was able to take advantage of several opportunities that he may not otherwise have had time for. He did internships at Creative Planning and Bergan KDV.
The extra time didn’t just help Truitt, he was also able to give back through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, where accounting students provide income tax assistance to the community.
“It was really great experience because there’s just all sorts of different people from the community,” Truitt said. “We are dealing with people who are disabled, people that are just really, really nervous about their taxes and they come in so shaken up about it and they're able to leave with a smile and, sometimes, a couple dollars coming to them.”
For Truitt, being able to take advantage of these opportunities and persevere was especially meaningful.
“I had a lot of times when I was really struggling in school and I really was barely making it some semesters and just putting in the effort and doing my best and getting through it,” Truitt said. “I realized a lot of the time, I'd end up with better grades than I thought… and every time that happened, I realized I was more capable than I had thought I was before.”
He has some advice for students who may be experiencing challenges in school or in life.
“Take a step back and deep breath and realize that as long as you don't give up, you will get there,” he said.
Truitt is starting a new job soon. The May 2024 graduate has a job lined up as a staff accountant with Allen, Gibbs & Houlik, a certified public accounting firm in Overland Park, KS.
“I'm looking forward to walking across the stage,” Truitt said. “I've worked really hard to get to where I'm at. I know I've improved a lot over the last few years, just as a person, as a student and a professional, so I'm excited to see what the future holds.”
After graduation, Truitt plans to take a few more courses to sit for the CPA exam, then return to school to get a Master of Business Administration degree.