Eligibility 

• Illinois Resident or non-Illinois Resident who is enrolled in a college in Illinois
• Racial/ethnic minority currently underrepresented in the accounting profession (e.g. Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, etc.)
• US citizen/permanent US resident
• Enrolled in a college as a sophomore, junior, or senior with a 3.0/4.0 GPA or equivalent 
• Currently or interested in majoring in accounting
• Have not already completed or committed to an internship with a participating employer*

_{*Participating employers include: Abbott, Baker Tilly US LLP, Crowe LLP, Deloitte LLP, Ernst & Young LLP, FORVIS LLP, Grant Thornton LLP, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, KPMG LLP, McDonald's Corporation, Northern Trust Corporation, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Sikich LLP, Topel Forman LLC, and Wipfli LLP}

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Who is Mary T. Washington Wylie, CPA

A native of Chicago, Mrs. Washington Wylie (1906-2005) earned her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University. In 1939, when virtually no firms would hire African Americans or females, let alone an African American female, she began her own accounting practice in a basement on the South Side of Chicago. She became the first African American female CPA in the U.S. in 1943 and was a trailblazer who opened doors for future generations of African American accountants to follow in her historic footsteps. 

Her accounting practice, known today as the Chicago firm of Washington, Pittman & McKeever LLC, was one of the largest black CPA firms in the country, and has since combined forces with Mitchell Titus, carrying on her legacy.  

Mary T. Washington Wylie Opportunity Fund

As a tribute to her legacy, on what would have been her 100^th birthday in 2006, Lester H. McKeever Jr., along with the Illinois CPA Society and the CPA Endowment Fund of Illinois, established the Mary T. Washington Wylie Opportunity Fund. Donations to the fund support programs and opportunities that promote diversity and strengthen the accounting profession. 

Donations to the Mary T. Washington Wylie Opportunity Fund make this Internship Preparation Program possible. The Fund has received more than $1 million in support from individual and corporate donors. Thank you to the following major donors for their generosity: