Christine Roharik is the Rotary Club of Cleveland's Excellence in Accounting honoree for 2024. Christine was born and raised in Cleveland. After initially pursuing an art degree, she settled into a career as an artisan baker at Blackbird Baking Company. Trying to align her personal and professional goals, Christine began taking classes part-time at Cuyahoga Community College. She found the introductory accounting classes rewarding, and in 2021, Christine transferred to Cleveland State with her mind set on an accounting degree.

In May, Christine will graduate summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting and two minors in Information Systems and Art History. Upon graduating, Christine will move on from baking and begin work in Technology Assurance at KPMG. Not wanting to lose momentum, she has started taking the CPA exam and is excited to wrap up the process this year. While returning to school as a non-traditional student was intimidating, Christine is eager for the new opportunities this journey will lead to.

Christine is an avid scuba diver who is happy to explore any Great Lakes shipwreck. Christine says, “Having underwater encounters with sea life has given me immense respect for the creatures we share our planet with. The most memorable of these experiences was snorkeling near a mother pilot whale while her calf nursed and having an octopus hatchling rest on my hand during a night dive in the open ocean.”

When not studying, working, or diving, Christine can often be found snuggled up with her two cats reading a book.