Thank you to all the participants, employers, and volunteers who made the 2026 Mary T. Washington Wylie Internship Preparation Program a success! Our next program will be held in January 2027. 

This award-winning program equips college students for success in accounting internships by providing access to training, resources, and mentors. At the end of the program, employers interview participants for a variety of paid internships. 

For more information, check out the Promotional Flyer, Participant Testimonials, and the 2026 Program Agenda.

2026 Scholars 1

2026 Mary T. Washington Wylie Scholars


Program Perks


  • $500 scholarship 
  • Resume advice and interview coaching
  • LinkedIn profile support
  • Connect with accounting students and professionals
  • Access to mentors
  • Interview with well-known accounting employers 

 

Eligibility


  • Currently or interested in majoring in accounting
  • Have not already completed or committed to an internship with a participating employer*
  • Available to participate in the virtual program from January 6-8, 2026
  • Illinois resident or enrolled in a college in Illinois
  • U.S. citizen or permanent U.S. resident

*Participating employers include Abbott, Baker Tilly, Crowe, EY, Forvis Mazars, Grant Thornton, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Miller Cooper, Northern Trust Corporation, PwC, Topel Forman, and Wipfli.

Who was 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.  

The Mary T. Washington Wylie Opportunity Fund


As a tribute to her legacy, on what would have been her 100th 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. With more than $1 million in support from individual and corporate donors, the Fund makes programs like the Internship Preparation Program possible, promoting diversity and strengthening the accounting profession. 

Thank you to the following major donors for their generosity:

  • Abbott 
  • Baker Tilly US LLP
  • ComEd
  • Crowe LLP
  • Deloitte LLP
  • Dempsey J. Travis Foundation  
  • Draper & Kramer Inc.
  • Ernst & Young LLP
  • Forvis Mazars LLP
  • Grant Thornton LLP
  • Hyatt Hotels Corporation

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    • Joseph & Susan Kosinski
    • KPMG LLP
    • Loop Capital
    • McDonald's Corporation
    • Miller Cooper & Co,. Ltd
    • Northern Trust Corporation
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
    • Sikich LLP
    • Scott Steffens & Family
    • Topel Forman LLC
    • Washington, Pittman & McKeever LLC
    • Wipfli LLP