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Accounting

Illinois CPA Society Announces Washington Wylie Internship Prep Program Scholars

During their winter break, these diverse and deserving scholars received specialized training and coaching aimed at helping them secure paid internships or full-time positions with public accounting firms and corporate finance departments.

The Illinois CPA Society and its charitable partner, the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois, are excited to celebrate a decade of supporting future CPAs and advancing diversity in the accounting profession by announcing the latest class of 29 scholars to complete the award-winning and highly competitive Mary T. Washington Wylie Internship Preparation Program.

During their winter break, these diverse and deserving scholars received specialized training and coaching aimed at helping them secure paid internships or full-time positions with public accounting firms and corporate finance departments. The Illinois CPA Society is proud to recognize the following 2022 Mary T. Washington Wylie Internship Preparation Program Scholars:Wylie 2022

For the health and safety of all participants, the program was held virtually Jan. 5-7, 2022. The program connected the scholars with representatives from Abbott, BKD CPAs & Advisors, Crowe, Deloitte, EY, Grant Thornton, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, KPMG, Northern Trust Corporation, PwC, Sikich, and Wipfli. Many of these participating employers led skills development sessions and conducted interviews for a variety of paid internships and full-time positions. Other program highlights included motivational speakers and insightful panelists, resume and LinkedIn profile advice, interview coaching, CPA exam information, and opportunities to network with mentors, program alumni, and other diverse accounting students. Participants also received $500 scholarships to help with their educational expenses. Additionally, through a unique partnership with the University of Illinois, participants had the chance to interview for a free tuition and stipend scholarship for the Master of Accounting Science program.

“I am overwhelmed with pride and excitement for these students,” 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 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 program, which has now prepared 260 participants over its 10 years, 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. This program, bearing her name, helps racial and ethnic minority students become more prepared to find success in the accounting and finance profession and follow in her historic footsteps.