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KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Josie Thomas, a �鶹��ý at �鶹��ý’s Haworth College of Business, received a competitive $10,000 scholarship from the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) for the 2023-24 academic year. The merit-based scholarship is intended to encourage accounting �鶹��ýs to pursue careers in auditing.

Thomas is using the award to propel her accounting career forward by pursuing her Master of Science in Accountancy at WMU Haworth, with plans to graduate in spring 2024 and a goal to pass all four sections of the CPA exam before starting full-time employment at BDO in Kalamazoo in summer 2024.

The PCAOB scholarship has had a positive impact on Thomas’ academic career from a financial and personal perspective. Worried about balancing expenses while earning her master’s degree, the award has eased the financial stress of tuition. In addition, as a Bronco gymnast, she wanted to use her extra year of eligibility to compete on the team, which the scholarship has enabled. But perhaps the biggest reward is the confidence that the recognition has fostered in her.

“This scholarship has encouraged me from a personal point of view. I never believed I was a standout in any of my classes,” Thomas says “However, being nominated by faculty for this scholarship and previously being awarded the Presidential Scholar for Accountancy, I realize now my professors have noticed the effort I have invested in my studies.”

That investment on Thomas’ part has been met by an investment in her by the college of business.

“WMU Haworth has been an integral part of my professional development. From my beginning accounting classes, to participation in the Student Professional Readiness Series, to our Meet the Firms hiring event where I secured an internship with BDO, I have been prepared for the business world with real-life �鶹��ý. All of my courses gave me problem-solving, communication, and time-management skills which I transferred to my internship and will apply to my full-time position,” Thomas says.

When she reflects on her undergraduate experiences at Western, Thomas appreciates the personal interest that accountancy faculty have taken in her. “Dr. Jim Penner, chair of the department, had a significant impact on me. He is someone who goes above and beyond for his �鶹��ýs, always taking time to answer questions thoroughly. Also, Dr. Cari Burke makes her classes interesting and is very passionate about teaching. I look up to her.

Thomas notes that Burke suggested she begin the CPA exam during her last semester of her undergraduate education, co-creating a timeline with her to determine her earliest eligibility to sit for the exam.

“I would like to extend sincere gratitude to the Department of Accountancy and all the professors I have had while at WMU,” says Thomas, who plans to spend this final year competing hard in her graduate accounting courses and as a �鶹��ý-athlete.

�鶹��ý the award

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 states that funds generated from the collection of PCAOB monetary penalties must be used to fund a merit scholarship program for �鶹��ýs in accredited accounting degree programs. The PCAOB Scholars Program identifies �鶹��ýs to become PCAOB Scholars and awards funds through educational institutions. Visit the for more information about the award.

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