Cal State Fullerton business administration student Devin Gruenthal is pursuing a career in tax accounting and applying his classroom knowledge in real-world settings as president of the campus Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.
An IRS-sponsored initiative, VITA is a national program that provides free tax preparation services for low- to moderate-income individuals, seniors and underserved communities. Gruenthal joined the student-run organization through CSUF’s College of Business and Economics last year as a sophomore when he became an IRS-certified volunteer.
This year, Gruenthal stepped up his commitment by serving as president and overseeing the VITA site hosted on CSUF’s campus. It’s been an experience that has allowed him to sharpen his skills and give back to the community.
“It’s been rewarding for me to work with these clients and provide them this service,” Gruenthal said. “Maybe you give them a really nice refund in their return, and you see how it brightens their day.”
Gruenthal and more than 90 Titan student volunteers have completed IRS certification training, required for participation in VITA. Students then sign up for one or more volunteer shifts at the CSUF site. On-campus VITA tax preparation services are held in Steven G. Mihaylo Hall and are available this year on Saturdays from early February through April 11.
For those who utilize the VITA site for tax preparation assistance, the process begins with a student volunteer preparing the tax return, followed by a review from a more experienced preparer to ensure accuracy and compliance before the return is finalized and electronically filed.
In his role as president, Gruenthal is the main point of contact for Orange County United Way, which partners with CSUF to support the campus VITA site by coordinating volunteers, providing resources and connecting the program to the community it serves.
accounting and adviser of CSUF’s
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (Photo courtesy of Cal State Fullerton)
Part of that community served includes fellow Titans. Among the more than 750 tax returns prepared at the CSUF VITA site last year were those for international students living on campus. The CSUF site is designated to provide support for Vietnamese- and Spanish-speaking filers.
“What we’re really known for at Fullerton is our foreign student certified volunteers,” Gruenthal said. “We have a lot of students who come from all over the world. It’s a great program for them because it’s at no charge, and we try to make their experience as smooth as possible while they’re there.”
Most Titan students who volunteer through VITA are studying accounting, but the program is open to all majors. Jon Durrant, a CSUF associate professor of accounting, has served as the campus VITA program adviser since 2017 and said that participation helps students develop problem-solving and client service skills.
“It’s just a great experience for the students, especially accounting students, but it really applies to lots of different types of students who are still exploring their career options,” Durrant said.
For accounting majors specifically, serving with VITA can help the students understand whether they want to pursue tax accounting as a career.
“By putting them in the tax preparer seat, it gives them exposure to preparing taxes, to customer service, and to giving good and bad news to people,” Durrant said. “So it’s good in a lot of ways.”
Durrant also said VITA volunteering provides strong talking points during interviews and enhances a student’s resume, adding that it offers significant value from a career standpoint. Gruenthal believes his participation in VITA helped him land his current internship opportunity with Empirical Wealth Management as a tax administration intern.
“I believe that if you’re a VITA volunteer and you put in the time, it can be the perfect springboard into starting a great career,” Gruenthal said. “I’ve used it personally as a powerful resume item. …We do a lot to develop our members, and so after graduation, they’re already desk-ready. They’ve worked with tax returns and tax software and also had client-facing interactions, so they’re well prepared.”
Gruenthal knew early on he would be a Titan. A Marina High School graduate from Huntington Beach, he visited CSUF on a middle school field trip and was so impressed by the campus and community that he felt he belonged. His choice to major in business administration with concentrations in accounting and information systems was inspired by family members who also built careers in accounting.
Gruenthal is on track to graduate and be CPA-eligible in May 2027, and he is planning to enter the tax accounting field while pursuing his CPA licensure.
Though his term as president of CSUF’s VITA program ends this summer, Gruenthal is looking forward to returning next year as a student volunteer to help more students and community members with tax preparation.
“I like seeing that I’m making a difference, and so I really believe in the VITA program for that,” Gruenthal said. “It’s been a really rewarding experience for me.”