Sixty-two of Maryland’s newest CPAs were sworn into the profession on Nov. 20 as part of the Maryland Association of CPAs’ annual Newly Licensed CPA Swearing-In Ceremony, sponsored by the MACPA Foundation.

Held at Martin’s West in Baltimore, the event brought together newly licensed professionals who became CPAs during the past year to take an oath that reaffirms their commitment to their clients, their profession, the state of Maryland, and the publics they serve. The oath reads:

I solemnly swear that I will assume the responsibilities and obligations as a certified public accountant in the state of Maryland and in the United States of America.

I will support the laws and regulations and perform my professional duties to the best of my ability in an ethical, professional, and objective manner.

As a CPA, I will uphold the honor and dignity of the accounting profession and abide by the rules of professional conduct.

While the oath is strictly ceremonial, the presence of new CPAs at the event is evidence of their dedication to the future of the profession, and the ceremony itself plays an important role in a CPA's early career in a couple of key ways:

• Not only does the ceremony give new CPAs and their families an opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments, but it forces those attending to actually verbalize their commitment to serving the public. Passing the exam and earning your license is one thing. Standing in front of state and federal regulators, raising your right hand and promising to do the right thing is a much more powerful step, and one the new CPAs will remember when faced with professionally and morally difficult decisions.
  
  
• When you talk to the new CPAs, you quickly realize how much the event means to them. Previous “Swearing-In” participants have called the event “the exclamation point” on their years of studying and exam preparation, and “the most important experience” of their lives.

On hand to administer the oath was Maryland Labor Secretary Portia Wu, who called the CPA designation “a public trust” that’s grounded in integrity, accountability, and service.

“As CPAs, you are responsible to uphold the highest standards of honesty, independence, and professionalism, and by fulfilling the requirements to be here today, we know you are ready for a principled and successful career,” Wu told the new CPAs. “And for Maryland, this is an important moment as well. The work you will do as a CPA is critical to supporting individual Marylanders, businesses, and community organizations across our great state — helping Maryland grow and thrive.”

The Swearing-In Ceremony was made possible by the MACPA Foundation.

• Check out more photos from the Swearing-In Ceremony here and here.