Illinois CPA Society Announces Mary T. Washington Wylie Internship Preparation Program Scholars

The Illinois CPA Society and its charitable partner, the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois, have announced the latest group of young aspiring professionals to complete its award-winning and highly competitive Mary T. Washington Wylie Internship Preparation Program:

Full Name	College	Hometown
Brighet Akinnuwesi	University of Illinois at Springfield	Springfield, Ill.
Blessing Arthur	Benedictine University	Woodridge, Ill.
Amanda Balaba	Illinois Wesleyan University	Lapu-Lapu, Philippines
Aisha Bawany	DePaul University	Morton Grove, Ill.
Kelly Benton	DePaul University	Chicago
Agustina Cortez	Lewis University	Orland Park, Ill.
Devin DeVry	University of Illinois	Aurora, Ill.
Natalia Echeverria	Roosevelt University	Chicago, Ill.
Janae Fleming	Kentucky State University	Richton Park, Ill.
Lauren Frye	Loyola University Chicago	Ypsilanti, Mich.
Aisha Garrett	College of DuPage	West Chicago, Ill.
Dominique Gay	Loyola University Chicago	Chicago
Kenyon Helm	Aurora University	Aurora, Ill.
Cedric Holmes	University of Illinois	Olympia Fields, Ill.
Elsie Kemigisha	Northern Illinois University	Schaumburg, Ill.
Tangela Norals	University of Illinois	Joliet, Ill.
Pedro Ocampo	University of St. Francis	Berwyn, Ill.
Odalys Ochoa	Lewis University	Summit, Ill.
Michael Opoku	Southern Illinois University	Carbondale, Ill.
Rebecca Owusu	University of Illinois at Chicago	Romeoville, Ill.
Angela Pan	University of Illinois	Naperville, Ill.
Aura Perez	Aurora University	Montgomery, Ill.
Adriana Quiroz	Saint Xavier University	South Holland, Ill.
Anna Ramberg	Augustana College	Cambridge, Minn.
Ja’Micah Sawyer	Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago	Chicago
Shamak Shah	College of DuPage	Westmont, Ill.
Jonathan Silva	DePaul University	Des Plaines, Ill.
Destini Simon	University of Illinois	Chicago
Helmut Soglohun	Illinois State University	East Moline, Ill.
Joi Strickland	Illinois State University	Bourbonnais, Ill.
Armani Tubbs	Illinois State University	Chicago
Ernest Walker	Governors State University	Lansing, Ill.
Jarmekia Walker	Southern Illinois University	Carbondale, Ill.
Tyrek Walker	Monmouth College	Chicago
Romerion Williams	University of Illinois	Country Club Hills, Ill.
Darius Wright	University of St. Francis	North Miami Beach, Fla.
Miguel Zavala	University of Illinois	Cicero, Ill.

The three-day, virtual program took place Jan. 4-6, 2023, where these racial and ethnic minority students received customized training to arm them with the skills needed to obtain accounting internships or full-time positions and ultimately pursue the CPA credential. Program highlights included motivational speeches, insightful panel discussions, resume and LinkedIn profile advice, interview coaching, CPA exam information, and opportunities to network with other diverse accounting students and professionals.

The scholars engaged in various sessions and interviews with representatives from Abbott, Baker Tilly LLP, Crowe LLP, Deloitte LLP, Ernst & Young LLP, FORVIS LLP, Grant Thornton LLP, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, KPMG LLP, Northern Trust Corporation, PwC LLP, Sikich LLP, Topel Forman LLC, and Wipfli LLP. Participants also received $500 scholarships to help with their educational expenses. Additionally, through a unique partnership with the University of Illinois, participants had the opportunity to interview for a free tuition and stipend scholarship for the Master of Accounting Science program.

“As we strive to do more to advance diversity in the CPA profession, this class of 37 scholars represents the largest cohort in the program’s 11-year history,” says Kari L. Natale, CAE, senior director of the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois. “It was an honor to get to know them and witness them grow and develop the skills needed to succeed in this competitive profession, overcome personal barriers, and gain the courage to be the best versions of themselves.”

The program is funded by donations to the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois’ Mary T. Washington Wylie Opportunity Fund, which honors her legacy. Mary T. Washington Wylie, a Chicagoan and Northwestern University graduate, began her own accounting practice in her South Side Chicago basement in 1939 and became the first Black female CPA in the United States in 1943. She is widely regarded as a trailblazer who made it her life’s mission to hire and mentor aspiring Black CPAs by fostering their development and supporting their careers.

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