PCPS George Willie Ethnically Diverse Student Scholarship & Internship

10 firms. 10 students. Up to $100,000 in scholarships for our shared commitment to a diverse and forward-looking profession.

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Attention students: Are you an ethnically diverse student pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in an accounting or accounting-related major? Do you plan to pursue the CPA licensure?

If you can answer yes to the above questions, you’re in the right place!

CPA firms of all sizes understand the business case for developing a diverse team. But many firms are challenged to find, retain and develop ethnically diverse talent.

That’s why we’re connecting PCPS member firms with promising accounting majors of ethnically diverse backgrounds. As an added measure of our support, PCPS will award up to $10,000 of financial assistance per student to encourage their ultimate entry into the CPA profession.

How the scholarship/internship works

  • 10 PCPS member firms were selected to serve as cosponsors and provide an internship during busy season 2023 (January–April)
  • You apply for consideration for the George Willie Ethnically Diverse Scholarship & Internship
  • AICPA PCPS selects ten students to participate in an internship at a cosponsoring firm and awards up to $10,000 scholarship per student to help with tuition for their final academic year

Congratulations to our cosponsoring firms

   

BBD, LLP

Philadelphia, PA

Bernard Robinson & Company, L.L.P.

Greensboro, NC

Blackman & Sloop, CPAs, PA

Chapel Hill, NC

Brown, Edwards & Company LLP

Roanoke, VA

Lance CPA Group

Chicago, IL

Lurie, LLP

Minneapolis, MN

Novogradac & Company LLP

San Francisco, CA

REDW

Albuquerque, NM

Smith Patrick CPA

Webster Groves, MO

Tonneson + Co

Wakefield, MA

 

Selection process

A scholarship selection task force will review all qualified applications and select up to ten scholarship recipients based on academic achievement, leadership and future career interests in accounting. All applicants will be notified by email of the final selection by July 31st.

Email diversity@aicpa.org  with any questions regarding the program

Applications now closed

Learn more including eligibility requirements, and apply at:

Thiswaytocpa.com/pcpsscholarship

About George Willie

George Willie, managing partner at Bert Smith & Co., is a former chair of the PCPS Executive Committee and the AICPA Minority Initiatives Committee.   Throughout his more than 35 years working in public accounting, George has tirelessly promoted the benefits of an accounting career and provided constant support to high school and college students as well as young professionals in pursuit of the CPA designation.

George is a significant contributor to the academic activities of the student members of National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) and the Institute of the Caribbean, is a leading supporter of Howard University School of Business, has established an endowment fund for high achieving minority students pursuing degrees in accounting at the American University Kogod School of Business, and is a prominent supporter of the American Foundation for the University of the West Indies.

George has been recognized as NABA’s Outstanding Accounting Leader, has received NABA’s National Achievement Award in Recognition of Outstanding Achievement in Public Accounting and the Diversity and Inclusion Award by the Michigan Association of CPAs, has been recognized as a Distinguished Alumni of both Howard University and American University, was recipient of the 2015 Caribbean Luminary Award, and was elected as an Honorary Councilor of National Council of the Philippine American Canadian Accountants, to name a few.

It is our privilege to award scholarships in George’s honor to ethnically diverse students in pursuit of an accounting degree.