Chicago, IL-(Effingham Radio)- The record $161,000 in tuition scholarships will support 61 accounting students at 23 colleges and universities during the upcoming academic year.
As the accounting profession works to strengthen its future workforce, the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois, the charitable partner of the Illinois CPA Society (ICPAS)—one of the largest state certified public accountant (CPA) societies—has awarded a record $161,000 in scholarships to 61 accounting students attending 23 Illinois colleges and universities.
By helping offset tuition costs, the scholarships allow recipients to focus on their education while preparing to meet the growing demand for trusted accounting and finance professionals.
Scholarships were awarded through seven distinct categories that recognize students demonstrating academic achievement, leadership qualities, and financial need:
- Illinois CPA Society Accounting Scholarships, which support seniors and graduate students.
- RubinBrown Charitable Foundation Scholarships, which support students attending colleges or universities in and around the Chicago metropolitan area.
- Herman J. Neal Accounting Scholarships, which support Black or African American juniors, seniors, and graduate students.
- James A. Sikich Visionary Scholarships, which support seniors and graduate students.
- Advancing Women in Accounting Scholarships, which support female seniors and graduate students.
- Community College Scholarships, which support second-year community college students.
- Freshman Scholarships, which support incoming college freshmen.
These scholarships are made possible through the generosity of nearly 1,000 annual donors to the CPA Endowment Fund. Together, their investments help remove financial barriers for students while strengthening the future CPA pipeline. This year, the RubinBrownCharitable Foundation
expanded that impact by establishing two new $10,000 tuition scholarships through a generous $20,000 gift.
“Investing in the education of promising accounting students is essential to both the future of our communities and the accounting and finance profession,” says Geoffrey Brown, CAE, ICPAS president and CEO. “These students have shown a clear commitment to pursuing accounting careers and the CPA credential, and we’re proud to support their journey. We’re also deeply grateful to our donors who make these scholarships possible and especially to the RubinBrown Charitable Foundation for its meaningful investment in aspiring CPAs.”
2026-2027 Academic Year Tuition Scholarship Recipients by Program
Illinois CPA Society Accounting Scholarships
Name School
- David Arroyo DePaul University
- Jessie Cardiel Saint Xavier University
- Drew Chipman DePaul University
- Devin David DePaul University
- Joseph Dean Illinois Wesleyan University
- John Dwyer Northern Illinois University
- Natalie Engelman University of Illinois
- Swapna George DePaul University
- Elizabeth Good Loyola University
- Gannon Harshman Millikin University
- Megan Hoffman University of Illinois Springfield
- Bowen Huang University of Illinois
- Alex Jimenez University of Illinois
- Rida Kim DePaul University
- Anna Lakomiak Benedictine University
- Olga Makhlay Loyola University
- Haiden Mast University of Illinois
- Isabelle O’Day University of Illinois
- David Podczerwinski University of Illinois
- Rachelle Pinto Dominican University
- Owen Pullis Loyola University
- Fatima Qaiser Loyola University
- Mathew Salazar Northern Illinois University
- Anna Sagmeister University of Illinois
- Madan Shrestha University of Illinois
- Madeline Stork Illinois Wesleyan University
- Anna Topor Lewis University
- Ashley Torres Rockford University
- Benjamin Torres Loyola University
- Abigail Zacatzi Northern Illinois University
RubinBrown Charitable Foundation Scholarships
Name School
- Victoria Lozano DePaul University
- Dhavni Shah DePaul University
Herman J. Neal Accounting Scholarships
Name School
- Tyshawn Allison Northern Illinois University
- Khamiya Langston Elmhurst University
- Martha Pierre-Louis Loyola University
- Hussam Sharfi University of Illinois Chicago
- Ashley Terry DePaul University
James A. Sikich Visionary Scholarships
Name School
- Jessica Hu University of Illinois
- Jason Mascarenhas University of Illinois
Advancing Women in Accounting Scholarships
Name School
- Daniella Berkane Loyola University
- Esmeralda Corona University of Illinois
- Mahnoor Fatani Benedictine University
- Lilliana Gutierrez University of St. Francis
- Cheryl Jones DePaul University
- Giselle Naranjo University of Illinois
- Mikah Ribble University of Illinois
- Cristina Tejeda University of Illinois
- Quynh Tran University of Illinois Chicago
Community College Scholarships
Name School
- Vincenzo Cavazos Moraine Valley Community College
- Kate-Lynn Hodges Prairie State College
- Katherine Sell Illinois Central College
- Caden Shaputis Rend Lake College
- Guohua Su Harold Washington College
- Justin Varvara College of DuPage
- Andrew Weingardt Oakton College
Freshman Scholarships
Name School
- Caiden Aldrich Cando Northern Illinois University (Bolingbrook High School)
- Calvin Andrews University of Illinois (Heyworth Junior-Senior High School)
- Jade Bowen Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (Triad High School)
- Akshar Patel University of Illinois (Saint Charles East High School)
- A’Lyvia Perry Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (Molin High School)
- Jonathan Ramirez Moraine Valley Community College (Argo Community High School)
To learn more about the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois and its programs and scholarships, visit icpas.org/annualfund.
About the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois
The CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization founded in 1998 by Illinois CPA Society members. The Fund was created to ensure ongoing funding for scholarship and outreach programs. The programs are geared toward encouraging individuals to choose accounting as a career and achieve the CPA credential. Visit www.icpas.org/annualfund.
About the Illinois CPA Society
Founded in 1903, the Illinois CPA Society, with more than 20,000 members, is one of the largest state CPA societies in the nation. Its mission is dedicated to enhancing the value of the CPA profession through the strategic drivers of advocacy, information, education, and connections. Visit www.icpas.org.
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