Accounting
Minority Accounting Students Sought for Internship Preparation Program
Participants will have an opportunity to interview for a full tuition and stipend scholarship to attend the university’s Master of Accounting Science program.
Oct. 07, 2022
The Illinois CPA Society (ICPAS) will once again host aspiring students who want to become CPAs at the 11th annual Mary T. Washington Wylie Internship Preparation Program. Scheduled for Jan. 4-6, 2023, the award-winning, three-day, virtual program aimed at advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the CPA profession is now accepting applications until Nov. 7, at www.icpas.org/mtww.
Minority college students in Illinois who are interested in pursuing careers in accounting and finance are encouraged to apply. Following a competitive selection process, the program scholars will partake in an agenda aimed at arming them with the skills needed to obtain their first accounting position and ultimately pursue the CPA credential. Participants will engage in various sessions with representatives from Abbott, Crowe LLP, Deloitte LLP, Ernst & Young LLP, FORVIS LLP, Grant Thornton LLP, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, KPMG LLP, PwC LLP, Sikich LLP, Topel Forman LLC, and Wipfli LLP, who’ll also be interviewing participants for a variety of paid internships.
Other program highlights include motivational keynotes, resume advice, interview coaching, and opportunities to network with other diverse accounting students and professionals. All participants will receive a $500 scholarship to help with their educational expenses. Additionally, through a unique partnership with the University of Illinois, program participants will have an opportunity to interview for a full tuition and stipend scholarship to attend the university’s Master of Accounting Science program.
“We’re excited to welcome our next class of scholars to this remarkable program that will provide them with the personalized training and resources they need to truly realize their potential,” says Kari L. Natale, CAE, senior director of the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois. “Watching these promising students become more motivated, confident, and better prepared to succeed in the accounting and finance profession is incredibly rewarding.”
The program—which currently has 260 alumni—is funded by donations to the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois’ Mary T. Washington Wylie Opportunity Fund, which honors her legacy as the first Black female CPA in the United States and as a trailblazer who opened doors for generations of aspiring CPAs to follow in her historic footsteps.