One California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) student’s senior year is coming together quite nicely thanks to Glenn Burdette’s participation in an innovative new approach to enhance diversity within the CPA profession
The George Willie Ethnically Diverse Student Scholarship and Internship Program, launched this year by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), helps minority accounting students pursuing CPA licensure. Glenn Burdette, the Central Coast’s largest CPA firm, was one of five firms selected nationwide by the AICPA’s PCPS section to participate. The company was selected, in part, for their demonstrated commitment to diversity and a robust university recruitment program, which is led by Senior Tax Manager, Chris Delaney.
The company recently announced they selected Maurea Richmond, an accounting senior at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, for the award which includes final year tuition up to $20,000 and a hands-on internship at the firm during the 2020 tax season.
“I never would have imagined that I would be the recipient of such an amazing award, and it goes to show that connecting with local professionals and building your network can go a long way,” said Richmond. “I cannot wait to learn from the firm this upcoming tax season and to be able to gain invaluable experience in this practice.”
In addition to leading Glenn Burdette’s on-campus recruitment efforts, Delaney is also part of their on-campus interview team for tax season interns and full-time hires and believes that new ideas and concepts will be fostered from a workforce that is diverse and that brings many voices to the table.
“We are so excited about this internship and the foresight and generosity of the AICPA/PCPS,” said Delaney. “One of my greatest joys is seeing college recruits step into the world of public accounting and thrive. We look forward to welcoming Maurea.”
In addition to the invaluable experience of a hands-on internship at Glenn Burdette, the scholarship will help ease the burden of paying tuition for Richmond’s final year at Cal Poly.
“As someone who is paying their own way through Cal Poly, this scholarship lifts a huge weight off my shoulders and removes the financial burden of paying for tuition this year. I feel relieved and excited to be able to focus my attention on my studies and internship experience, knowing that my tuition will be taken care of.” said Richmond.
Student applications for the next George Willie Scholarship and Internship will open in the spring of 2020. Firms interested in providing an internship opportunity in 2021 can visit aicpa.org/pcpsscholarship for more details.
Glenn Burdette is the leading certified public accounting firm on California’s Central Coast. Founded in 1965, with more than 50 certified professionals and over 90 total employees, they serve clients from offices in Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles. Learn more: www.glennburdette.com.