The Illinois CPA Society honored 29 minority accounting college students who graduated from the tenth annual Mary T. Washington Wylie Internship Preparation Program.
The three-day program was held online from Jan. 5-7, 2022. Local accounting students received training to help them best prepare for their first real-world experiences in accounting.
The Internship Preparation Program is funded by donations to the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois’ Mary T. Washington Wylie Opportunity Fund. The program honors the legacy of Mary T. Washington, the first African-American female CPA in the U.S., by advancing diversity in the profession and providing more opportunities for minority accounting students.
Representatives from firms including the Big Four, Crowe and Grant Thornton were on hand to present sessions and interview students for paid accounting internships. All participating students received a $500 scholarship to help with their educational expenses, as well as the chance to interview for free tuition and a stipend scholarship from the University of Illinois's Master of Accounting Science program.
“I am overwhelmed with pride and excitement for these students,” said Kari Natale, senior director of the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois, in a statement. “It was an honor to get to know them and witness them develop skills they need to succeed, overcome personal barriers, and gain the courage to be the best version of themselves. I know they are going to shine bright as they transition into the profession.”
The 2022 Mary T. Washington Wylie Internship Preparation Program class, in alphabetical order, is as follows:
- Victor Adegoke - Loyola University Chicago;
- Simeon Adesina - Rockford University;
- Kennedy Allen - Western Illinois University;
- Kimberly Avelar - Aurora University;
- Arameli Banuelos - Governors State University;
- Itzury Barriga - Lake Forest College;
- Danielle Beraya - University of Illinois Chicago;
- Abby Carbajal Garcia - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign;
- Mikaela Casillas - University of Illinois Chicago;
- Aliyah Chancellor - DePaul University;
- Morelia Diaz - DePaul University;
- Ashley Doyle - Roosevelt University;
- Gabriella Flores - Harold Washington College;
- Adriel Gahol - Elgin Community College;
- Shyrice Howell - Northeastern Illinois University;
- Shayla Isada - Loyola University Chicago;
- Ange Kasombola - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign;
- Britney Maldonado - Illinois Wesleyan University;
- Josue Maya - Aurora University;
- Jason McGhee - Trinity Christian College;
- Solean Nunez - Western Illinois University;
- Janice Nyarko - Illinois State University;
- Gail O'Banner - Governors State University;
- Victoria Perry - Aurora University;
- Amani Pittman - Loyola University Chicago;
- Isaac Robinson - Illinois State University;
- Joshua Thompson - Illinois State University;
- Joshua Tomsich - Lewis University; and,
- Juwon Williams - University of Illinois Chicago.
For more on the Mary T. Washington program, head to ICPAS's
