Classes
I will be on sabbatical during the 2026鈥�2027 academic year and will not be teaching courses during this time.
Biography
Initially, I wasn鈥檛 sure what I wanted to study in college. Like many students, I was just figuring things out and happened to enroll in an accounting class鈥攕electing the class by going through the class schedule alphabetically, of course! But from the moment I encountered debits and credits and the satisfying world of checks and balances, I was hooked. Accounting wasn鈥檛 just numbers; it was a perfect puzzle begging to be solved, with a satisfying conclusion of everything being organized and balanced in the end!
Soon, I started tutoring Accounting (in addition to Spanish and Statistics) at the college鈥檚 Tutoring Center. It was here that my passion for helping others really took root and where I made the promise to myself that I鈥檇 return to the community college world one day, but next time as a teacher.
After that, it was full speed ahead! I transferred to UC Riverside (Go Highlanders!) to finish my undergraduate degree in business with鈥攜ou guessed it鈥攁 concentration in accounting. After graduation, I jumped into public accounting at a mid-tier firm, where I specialized in taxation. While there, I spent many long hours studying for the CPA exam. My favorite study spot? The library at Cal State Long Beach (Go Beach!), where I found focus among the stacks and aisles of books.
Earning my CPA license was a proud moment, but I was just getting started. I transitioned into corporate accounting and joined Hyundai Motor America, where I geeked out over cars while working in general accounting and later in financial forecasting, planning, and analysis. But while crunching numbers for an international company, I decided it was time to hit the books again and pursue my master鈥檚 degree at UC Irvine (Zot, Zot Anteaters!).
Then came the best part of my journey, returning to higher education to teach! And not just teaching at any college鈥擨 was fortunate to come back to the very place where it all started: 69萝莉! Now, I have the joy of sharing the joy of accounting with other students who are just starting off on their own journeys. Yes, my path has led me right back to West Valley and I wouldn鈥檛 have it any other way!
Education
MBA, Entrepreneurship (Concentration in Entrepreneurship)
UC Irvine
BS, Business Administration (Concentration in Accounting)
UC Riverside
Professional Presentations
Thompson, T., Tietz, W., & Scott, C. (2026). AI: Practical Support for Accounting Educators. Panel presentation at the American Accounting Association SPARK Virtual Conference.
Thompson, T. (2026). Let's Make an App for That (and More!). Presented at the annual national conference of the Teachers of Accounting at Two Year Colleges (TACTYC), Orlando, FL.
Thompson, T. (2026). Tech Tools from a Non-Techie. Presented at the annual national conference of the Teachers of Accounting at Two Year Colleges (TACTYC), Orlando, FL.
Thompson, T., Tietz, W., & Larson, M. (2026). Keeping Students Engaged in the Introductory Financial Accounting Course: Ideas from the Classroom. Panel presentation at the American Accounting Association weARE Webinar Series on Accounting Research and Education.
Thompson, T. (2025). Rediscovering Joy In Teaching. Presented at the American Accounting Association (AAA) Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
Thompson, T. (2025). The Unexpected Benefits of Play. Presented at the annual national conference of the Teachers of Accounting at Two Year Colleges (TACTYC), Indianapolis, IN.
Thompson, T. (2025). Joyful Connections Through Intentional Teaching Practices. Presented at the annual national conference of the Teachers of Accounting at Two Year Colleges (TACTYC), Indianapolis, IN.
Thompson, T. (2023). How I Motivated My Late-Start Class. Presented at the annual national conference of the Teachers of Accounting at Two Year Colleges (TACTYC), Portland, OR.
Thompson, T. (2021). Coffee, Community, & Covid. Presented at Mission College鈥檚 All College Day, Santa Clara, CA.
Thompson, T. (2020). Leading Virtual Classes. Presented at Mission College鈥檚 All College Day, Santa Clara, CA.
Thompson, T. (2019). Engaging Students Through Non-Traditional Methods. Presented at the annual national conference of the Teachers of Accounting at Two Year Colleges (TACTYC), Ft. Worth, TX.
Thompson, T. & Annand, D. (2019). Development of OER-based Introductory Financial Accounting Text Based on US GAAP. Presented at the annual national conference of the Teachers of Accounting at Two Year Colleges (TACTYC), Ft. Worth, TX.
Thompson, T. & Liu, J. (2010). Service Learning Through VITA. Presented at the annual national conference of the Teachers of Accounting at Two Year Colleges (TACTYC), Carefree, AZ.
Awards
- J. Michael and Mary Anne Cook Prize Winner, American Accounting Association, 2025
- Excellence Award for Teaching, Mission College, 2022
- Excellence Award for Service to the Community, Mission College, 2019
- Program Excellence -Accounting Program, Mission College, 2018
- "Newbie" Excellence, Mission College, 2015
- Puck Award for Innovation, Chaffey College, 2010
- Gold Presidential Award -White House Award for Community Service, 2010
- Gold Presidential Award -White House Award for Community Service, 2009
Publications/ Interviews
Thompson, Teresa. "鈥�. Teaching in Higher Ed Podcast. Episode 539. October 10, 2024.
Thompson, Teresa. "". Faculty Focus. September 23, 2024.
Thompson, Teresa. 鈥�.鈥� Faculty Focus. September 4, 2024.
Thompson, Teresa. 鈥溾��. Faculty Focus. August 22, 2024.
Thompson, Teresa. 鈥溾�� Faculty Focus. September 1, 2023.
Thompson, Teresa. 鈥溾��. Faculty Focus. March 1, 2023.
Thompson, Teresa. 鈥溾��. Faculty Focus. March 3, 2023.
Annand, David and Teresa Thompson. . Creative Commons License, Attribution-Non-commercial-Share Alike 4.0 Canada, 2019.
Academic/Professional Affiliations
- 鈥� President
- 鈥� Silicon Valley Chapter, Member
- -Member
- Professional Development Committee鈥� 69萝莉 -Member
- Puente Program鈥� 69萝莉 -Mentor
Favorite Books
- For Work: "" by David Franklin
- For Fun: "" by Kristin Cashore
- For Inspiration: "" by Angela Santomero
Favorite Quote
"I'd rather be a brave girl than a nice girl" -Viola Davis, in conversation at NABA Conference (2024).