A highlight of the Philadelphia and Harrisburg Chapters’ year is awarding scholarships to outstanding students from local universities. The two chapters pool their resources to maximize scholarship awards. For the 2015–16 academic year, the chapters awarded seven $2,000 scholarships.
A scholarship candidate must be a junior or senior accounting or business major who is considering a career in tax. Candidates also must maintain a 3.0 GPA and demonstrate significant accomplishments such as being named to an accounting honor society or earning an academic award.
This year’s scholarship winners were Gia D’Angelo from West Chester University; Nicole Ghandor from Villanova University; Amber Bishop from Saint Joseph’s University; Emily Wright from Widener University; Serpil Ekiz from La Salle University; Ilona Schaeffer from Drexel University; and Heather Gysbers from Philadelphia University.
Bishop and D’Angelo both said the award would help them complete the 150-credit Pennsylvania CPA requirement. D’Angelo, whose interest in tax was sparked by an inspirational professor, sees many career opportunities in the tax field. Bishop was drawn to tax for a similar reason. “Although its structure and organization are complex, there is always something of interest in tax,” she said.
The Philadelphia–Harrisburg scholarship program is one of the most generous within TEI. Since 1998, the joint program has awarded nearly $200,000 to 101 recipients.
“We are very proud of our longstanding program and the exceptional candidates who receive TEI scholarships,” remarked Philadelphia Chapter President Rich Piechowski. Timothy D. Billow, Harrisburg Chapter president, added, “We are happy to participate in this joint program that reaches so many deserving candidates year after year.”
