The Illinois CPA Society named 39 students to the Mary T. Washington Wylie Internship Preparation Program Scholars.
The three-day virtual program, held Jan. 6-8, 2026, helps Illinois-based accounting students pursue careers in the profession through training, resources and mentorship to prepare them for internships. Fifteen recipients were selected to receive laptop scholarships. The program has expanded by awarding 52 additional $500 scholarships to applicants outside the class.
"This program reflects our commitment to stewarding the next-generation workforce by supporting the development of accounting students and creating pathways to opportunity," Geoffrey Brown, president and CEO of ICPAS, said in a statement. "This year's cohort brings remarkable talent, perspective and drive. They belong in this profession, and their future is bright."
The program is funded by donations to the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois' Mary T. Washington Wylie Opportunity Fund, which honors Washington Wylie's legacy as the first Black female CPA in the U.S. in 1943. The program has 426 alumni.
The names, academic institutions and hometowns of the 2026 scholars are:
- Tiana Adebisi; Waubonsee Community College; Lagos, Nigeria;
- Tyshawn Allison; Northern Illinois University; Chicago;
- Steffany Arriaga; Arizona State University; Bolingbrook, Illinois;
- BJ Bello; University of Illinois Chicago; Urbana, Illinois;
- Emily Brissett-Josephs; University of Illinois Morton; Grove, Illinois;
- Rodolfo Colin Alvarado; University of Illinois; Aurora, Illinois;
- Jazmyne Douglas; Northern Illinois University; Albert Lea, Minnesota;
- Philip Esparza; University of Illinois; Chicago;
- Kevin Estrada; Saint Xavier University; Chicago;
- Mahnoor Fatani; Benedictine University; Villa Park, Illinois;
- Kayla Franch; Northern Illinois University; Lake in the Hills, Illinois;
- Bethel Girma; Augustana College; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;
- Victor Gonzalez-Morales; Lewis University; Romeoville, Illinois;
- Lilliana Gutierrez; University of St. Francis; Plainfield, Illinois;
- Oscar Gutierrez Jr.; Harold Washington College; Chicago;
- Kristan Howell; Northern Illinois University; Urbana, Illinois;
- Celestial Kay-Oladimeji; University of Illinois; Dolton, Illinois;
- Iyanu Kehinde; University of Illinois; Chicago;
- Ryan Lau; University of Illinois; Chicago;
- Stephanie Lazaro; DePaul University; Wheeling, Illinois;
- Deborah Legesse; Augustana College; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;
- Daniela Marroquin; Ruiz University of Illinois Chicago; Chicago;
- Emiliano Medellin; Triton College; Brookfield, Illinois;
- Sinniyah Parks; Governors State University; Chicago;
- Iveth Perez; Loyola University Chicago; Altona, Illinois;
- Jose Luis Pina Gutierrez; Olivet Nazarene University; Kankakee, Illinois;
- Jose Reyes; Benedictine University; Romeoville, Illinois;
- Alyssa Richard; Northern Illinois University; Chicago;
- Natalia Richelieu; Loyola University Chicago; Washington, D.C.;
- David Roa; Illinois Wesleyan University; Berwyn, Illinois;
- Maricus Shannon; Governors State University; Park Forest, Illinois;
- Spencer Shi; University of Illinois; Gurnee, Illinois;
- Tavariana Simmons; University of Illinois; Chicago;
- Cristina Tejeda; University of Illinois; Bolingbrook, Illinois;
- Junia Tran; University of Illinois Chicago; Long An, Vietnam;
- Jovan Truss; Southern Illinois University; Oak Park, Illinois;
- Yonathan Wakie; Augustana College; Rock Island, Illinois;
- Aeyana Worku; Augustana College; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; and
- Yuma Yoshioka; Harold Washington College; Chicago.
