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College of Business

Rita Applegate

As Assistant Professor of Accounting in SPC’s College of Business, Dr. Rita Applegate is passionate about helping students bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world application. With over 30 years of experience in public accounting, she brings practical, career-ready skills into every course she teaches.

Rita’s journey to SPC began in Pennsylvania, where she transitioned from public accounting to higher education. A first-generation college graduate, and one of ten siblings, her story is one of resilience and determination.

“My parents didn’t go to college, but they instilled in all of us that college was the path to having a better quality of life,” she said. “All ten of us graduated. Five of us have master’s degrees. Two of us have doctoral degrees. I hope that is an example to students that they can achieve great things—and the starting point is education.”

Rita joined SPC in 2022 and quickly partnered with College of Business Dean Dr. Emmanuel Hernandez-Agosto to strengthen the accounting program. She proposed adding a payroll accounting course she had previously designed, as well as helped restructure SPC’s Accounting Certificate to better support working students. She also updated the Software Applications course to include an Intuit QuickBooks Online certification exam, and revised the tax course to feature the IRS VITA certification exam—giving students two additional credentials that align with SPC’s mission, preparing them for better jobs and brighter futures.

“If students complete the courses successfully, they have the opportunity to earn not just their SPC certificate, but two additional certificates which are employable skills,” she explained. “We’ve made sure the certificate scaffolds so that if they need to work, but want to continue their education, these courses build into future degree paths. The mission is that our students are working, and we need to help them achieve that better quality of life. Hopefully we encourage them to continue, but we do that in steps.”

Rita’s commitment to lifelong learning is more than a philosophy; it’s a practice. During the pandemic, while teaching online, she checked a huge item off her
bucket list and earned her doctoral degree. She later enrolled in SPC’s Spanish courses not only to have basic conversational skills for future travel endeavors but also inspired by students who have learned English to achieve a better education.

Rita was recently honored with a National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence Award. But what drives her to excellence are the students she teaches each day who face their own personal challenges but show up anyway. “I hope that I’m a role model for them, that with determination, you can achieve anything.”