The American Institute of CPAs has announced the recipients of the inaugural George Willie Ethnically Diverse Student Scholarship and Internship Program.
The program provides a scholarship and internship to five minority accounting students who are pursuing CPA licensure. The scholarships, worth up to $20,000 each, assist students with their final academic year. An AICPA Private Company Practice Section member firm will also sponsor each student for an internship during the 2020 tax season.
The program honors George Willie, a former chair of the AICPA’s PCPS Executive Committee and the AICPA Minority Initiatives Committee. Over Willie's 35-year career, he promoted accounting careers to students and young professionals pursuing the CPA license.
“Internships give students practical experience and the opportunity to fully understand what it means to be a CPA,” said Carl Peterson, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants’ vice president of small firm interests, in a statement. “This program not only assures students get hands-on experience within the profession, but it also helps them complete their education and gives our firms the opportunity to add needed talent during their busy season.”
“The George Willie program is an innovative new approach to enhance diversity within the profession,” stated Kim Drumgo, director of diversity and inclusion for the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants and vice chair of the AICPA National Commission on Diversity and Inclusion. “The scholarships help minority students complete their fifth year of education and enter the profession. And the internship is a great opportunity for firms to diversify their recruiting efforts. It is a win-win scenario for the students and the firms.”
Recipients of this year's George Willie Scholarship and Internship, as well as the universities they are attending and the firms they are interning with, are as follows:
- Camara Strong, Alabama A&M University, Anglin Reichmann Armstrong (Huntsville, Alabama)
- Calvin Calloway III, Eastern Michigan University, Aprio (Atlanta, Georgia)
- Sunil Maheshwari, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Cover & Rossiter (Wilmington, Delaware)
- Maurea Richmond, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Glenn Burdette (San Luis Obispo, California)
- Chivonne Williams, LaSalle University, Kreischer Miller (Horsham, Pennsylvania)
For more information on the scholarship, head to ThisWaytoCPA's
