Accounting
Students Sought for Accounting Internship Preparation Program
Program highlights include motivational keynotes, resume advice, interview coaching, and opportunities to network with other diverse accounting students and professionals.
Sep. 11, 2023
The Illinois CPA Society (ICPAS) is encouraging aspiring certified public accountants (CPAs) to apply for its 12th annual Mary T. Washington Wylie Internship Preparation Program to be held virtually Jan. 3-5, 2024. The award-winning, three-day program aimed at increasing diversity in the CPA profession is now accepting applications until Nov. 6, 2023, at www.icpas.org/mtww.
Illinois-based racial and ethnic minority college students interested in pursuing careers in accounting and finance are encouraged to apply. Following a competitive selection process, participants will partake in a program that will arm 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, Baker Tilly LLP, Crowe LLP, Deloitte LLP, Ernst & Young LLP, FORVIS LLP, Grant Thornton LLP, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, KPMG LLP, McDonald’s Corporation, Northern Trust Corporation, 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 receive a $500 scholarship to help with their educational expenses. Additionally, through a unique partnership with the University of Illinois, program participants have an opportunity to interview for a full tuition scholarship and stipend to attend their Master of Accounting Science program.
“It’s a privilege to support another class of scholars through this program that provides vital personalized guidance and resources to every participant,” says ICPAS President and CEO Geoffrey Brown, CAE. “The opportunities for career success that come from this program are indisputable, and it’s so rewarding to see these promising students become more motivated, confident, and better prepared to enter the accounting and finance profession as a result of their participation.”
The program—which currently has nearly 300 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.