Supporting a Diverse Talent Pipeline Through Aprio’s Annual Case Competition
November 17, 2023
97 College Students from 33 Universities Across the U.S. Compete for Scholarships
ATLANTA – Nov. 17, 2023 – Aprio, LLP, the No. 1 fastest-growing business advisory and accounting firm, concluded its annual Case Competition, a pivotal initiative aimed at nurturing a diverse talent pipeline within the accounting industry. The fourth annual competition for college students across the U.S., held on November 3, serves Aprio’s commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion, and sparking interest for the professional services industry.
The Case Competition provides underrepresented minority college students with a unique opportunity to showcase their skills and creativity in solving complex tax and advisory cases while competing for scholarships. The competition encourages participants to collaborate in groups and develop innovative solutions under the guidance of Aprio Team Advisors.
This year’s competition, the largest to date, included 97 students from 33 schools across the U.S. The teams worked closely with Aprio Team Advisors to develop their solutions, and at the end of the week, they virtually presented their findings to Aprio’s esteemed panel of judges. The distinguished panel of judges for this year’s competition includes Angela Dotson, Wendy Lu, Cardell McKinstry, Thomas Scott, Vanessa Piedrahita, Ari del Aguila, Shivam Malhotra, and Stella Chen. The top four teams with the most innovative and effective solutions were awarded cash prizes, with a total prize pool of up to $26,000.
Attracting and developing a diverse workforce is a strategic priority within Aprio’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Initiative. Aprio’s Case Competition, launched in 2019, plays an important role in our commitment to leading this charge for the accounting profession.
“We are proud to expand the Case Competition this year and provide even more students with the opportunity to engage with the accounting profession,” said Richard Kopelman, CEO & Managing Partner. “This event not only helps us identify and nurture top talent but also contributes to building a more inclusive and representative industry for the future.”
“The increased participation in the competition reflects the growing enthusiasm among students to engage in this empowering experience and explore future opportunities within the dynamic accounting industry,” said Lexy Kessler, Aprio’s Mid-Atlantic Leader. “We eagerly anticipate next year’s event, envisioning it as another milestone in fostering talent and innovation in support of growing a diverse pipeline for our profession.”
Our 2023 Scholarship Winners Include:
1st Place – ($14,000)
Amy Tu – UC Berkeley
Lesley Mahilum – Penn State University
Martin Gamboa- University of California – Irvine
Mason Doan – San Francisco State University
2nd Place – ($7,000) Rutgers University
Deborah Choi
Elaine Chang
Pooja Patel
Shriya Deshmukh
3rd Place – ($4,000) Binghamton University
Andrew Kim
Jooahn Sur
Joshua Kim
Yongjun Jin
4th Place – ($1,000) Alabama A&M University
Emilio Gallon
Mia Kenton
Nachaka Lizubuho
Santia Rogers
To learn more about Aprio on campus, contact Rachel Booth.
About Aprio:
Aprio is a premier, full-service business advisory and accounting firm that advises clients on achieving what’s next. Aprio professionals work as integrated teams across advisory, audit, tax, outsourcing, talent solutions and private client services, bringing the best thinking and personal commitment to each client. Across practices, Aprio brings together proven expertise, deep understanding and strategic foresight for industries including Manufacturing and Distribution; Non-Profit and Education; Professional Services; Real Estate; Construction; Restaurant, Franchise & Hospitality; Government Contracting, and Technology and Blockchain. Aprio has grown to over 2,000 team members. To serve clients wherever life or business may take them, Aprio’s teams speak more than 60 languages and work with clients in over 50 countries. For more, visit www.aprio.com.
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Media Contact:
Leslie Bashuk, Senior Public Relations Specialist
leslie.bashuk@aprio.com