Loss and Life: Through Family Struggle, Lauded Accounting Student Finds Purpose

In 2021, Luis Esparza ’25 suffered a tragic loss when his father died of COVID-19. With the head of the household gone, the Esparza family fell into financial straits, eventually requiring Esparza to take a leave of absence from the University of Dallas.

But in this time of loss, his education gained deep purpose.

“My family and I had it rough after my father passed away in 2021 from COVID,” Esparza says. “However, by giving up my time in school, I saw how my parents’ tax accountant crafted a strategy for my mother to continue to earn revenue and pay dues to the IRS in the most stable way. In the process, I assisted mom with financial statements, bank reconciliation and expense management.”

Esparza had already taken an interest in accounting before. When he first came to the University of Dallas, Esparza, a numbers guy, debated whether to study physics or applied math. Eventually realizing his preference for complex systems represented by simple equations, he gravitated toward accounting. Soon after enrolling in a course on financial accounting, his indecision about choosing a major disappeared. Before his passing, Esparza’s father further fostered this passion by introducing him to connections in public accounting. This also turned out to be decisive. 

Through the strife and ultimate success of his family, Esparza saw the good he could do as a certified public accountant (CPA).

“In just one year, my family and I went from financial desolation to hope and confidence. Mom increased her love for her work in real estate and saw the impact of her persistence. My parent’s project of life was still alive, even though Dad was gone,” Esparza said. “As a CPA, I want those in my community and city to understand the impact of tax accounting and audit beyond the numbers, wherever I may be and see the awesomeness in their projects of life.”

Faculty members familiar with Esparza have already noted his enthusiasm and leadership qualities, which include tutoring students in accounting. Robert Walsh, PhD, associate professor of accounting at the Satish and Yasmin Gupta College of Business, called Esparza a joy to have in the classroom.

“Luis is not only an excellent student, but he is also very outgoing and personable as well, and that rubs off on his classmates,” Walsh said.

As a result, Walsh had no trouble writing a recommendation letter for a scholarship that Esparza went on to win.

Esparza’s demonstrated excellence was recently recognized by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Legacy Scholars program, dedicated to providing tuition assistance to outstanding accounting students. Earlier this summer, Esparza became one of 61 students nationwide to receive the AICPA Scholarship for Minority Accounting Students. The program also offers professional development opportunities to scholars throughout the year.

Esparza thanks the University of Dallas for his achievements, particularly the emphasis on servant leadership and virtue ethics in the university’s business programs.

“Even students who aren’t in business want to take Leadership and Organizations, because it teaches them how to apply Christian virtues in the workforce and become ideal servant leaders,” he says.

Of course, Esparza’s education would not be complete without the Core Curriculum.

“The Core taught me to pursue the ultimate truth and the good of the soul,” Esparza said, “especially if God is calling you to it.”

This summer, Esparza interned at PwC US Tax in Houston, where he conducted corporate tax research, carried out due tax diligence for mergers and acquisitions, and assessed consolidated returns for major energy companies across the globe. He plans to complete his last semester in accounting this fall and ultimately join the accounting industry because, as he rightly points out, “the American workforce is always going to need CPAs.”