​Ilitch School students Renée Elian and Sydney Perkins awarded the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) Scholars Program ​

Ilitch School students Renée Elian and Sydney Perkins were awarded scholarships through the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) Scholars Program for the 2024-2025 academic year. The PCAOB Scholars Program awards scholarships to outstanding students enrolled in undergraduate or graduate accounting degree programs.

The PCAOB Scholars Program seeks to benefit students who are likely to become auditors and to make a difference for students who might otherwise choose a different career path. This scholarship will provide Renée and Sydney with $15,000 for educational expenses.

"This award will help take a great deal of the financial burden out of the post-graduate school process. I am excited to be recognized as a 2024 PCAOB scholar as it opens doors for invaluable opportunities, especially for first-generation students like me," says Elian.

"Being a recipient of this scholarship has given me so much pride in my education along with a sense that I'm on the right path. Originally, I was not planning to start my MSA program until 2025. But when my professor, Dr. Cheol Lee, nominated me for this incredible opportunity, I knew I had to take it," said Perkins.

Chair of the Accounting Department and Professor of Accounting Cheol Lee was excited to see that two students he nominated received awards, commenting that "on behalf of the accounting department faculty, I am immensely proud of them. They serve as role models for both undergraduate accounting students and accounting student organizations, and they are now new members of the MSA program. As the department chair, I am committed to continuously supporting students who aspire to pursue the MSA program and become accounting professionals through the PCAOB scholar program."

The selection committee was very impressed by their academic excellence and dedication to community service. Additionally, both Sydney and Renee have been actively involved in the Warriors in Accounting and Business (WIAAB) group.

-Jannet Hurtado-Blanco

The Wayne State University Mike Ilitch School of Business prepares students for challenging and rewarding careers, advances the boundaries of scholarly and practitioner knowledge, and enhances the economic vitality of the city of Detroit, the state of Michigan and beyond through its programs, research and community engagement. Established in 1946, the business school was renamed in 2015 in recognition of a $40 million gift from Mike and Marian Ilitch. Thanks to this lead investment, the school moved to a new state-of-the-art building in the heart of the District Detroit in 2018, and academic programming and collaboration with city businesses are expanding. For more information, visit ilitchbusiness.wayne.edu.