AICPA Partners with CPA Firms on New Diversity Program for Students

The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) selected five firms to participate in the Private Companies Practice Section (PCPS) George Willie Ethnically Diverse Student Scholarship and Internship program. The firms are listed below in alphabetical order:

Anglin Reichmann Armstrong – Huntsville, AL
Aprio – Atlanta, GA
Cover & Rossiter – Wilmington, DE
Glenn Burdette – San Luis Obispo, CA
Kreischer Miller – Horsham, PA

Each firm will partner with the AICPA’s Private Companies Practice Section (PCPS) to co-sponsor one student to perform an internship during the 2020 tax season (January – April). AICPA will then award up to $20,000 per student to assist with tuition in their final academic year.

“Internships are a great opportunity for students looking to gain practical work experience and familiarize themselves with the day-to-day operations of a public accounting firm,” said Carl Peterson, CPA, CGMA, the AICPA’s vice president of small firm interests. “By co-sponsoring this program, firms have an opportunity to bring a talented, motivated student on board during their busiest time of the year. And by participating in the program, firms are demonstrating their commitment to diversity to their employees as well as current and prospective clients.”

The U.S. census projects that minorities will comprise the majority of the population in the U.S. by 2045. The George Willie program is one of the ways AICPA is working to broaden the pipeline of talent entering the profession. A more diverse and inclusive profession will be better equipped to address the shifts in entrepreneurial capital that will result from these changing demographics in the U.S.

This program was created in honor of George Willie, CPA, CGMA, a former chair of AICPA’s PCPS Executive Committee and the AICPA Minority Initiatives Committee. Throughout his over 35-year career, Willie has promoted the benefits of a career in accounting to students and young professionals in pursuit of the CPA designation.

The program is open to Black or African American; Hispanic or Latino; Native American or Alaska Native; Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; Multiethnic; or Asian American students. Qualified applicants must be pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in accounting or an accounting-related major with a GPA at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) overall and for their major. They also must plan to sit for the CPA exam. Full eligibility requirements are available online.

A scholarship selection task force will review all qualified applications and select up to five scholarship recipients based on academic achievement, leadership and future career interests in accounting.

Students interesting in the program can visit aicpa.org/pcpsscholarship for more information. Applications are currently open, with a deadline of May 31, 2019.

Accounting