ACFE News
The ACFE Foundation has awarded $53,000 to 30 college and university students through the Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship Program for the 2013-2014 school year. The foundation awarded one scholarship for $10,000, two for $5,000, four for $2,500 and 23 for $1,000. Each recipient also will receive a one-year ACFE student membership.
The ACFE Foundation, a nonprofit entity, raises funds to support the scholarship program for the education of collegiate accounting, business, finance and criminal justice students around the globe. ACFE chapters and ACFE members also help underwrite the scholarships with donations.
An independent board of directors manages the ACFE Foundation. Its members include Scott Phillips, CFE, chairman; Joseph Ford, CFE, treasurer; Thomas Shaw, CFE, secretary; ACFE Vice President and Program Director Bruce Dorris, J.D., CFE, CPA, CVA; and Vice President and General Counsel John Warren, J.D., CFE.
The ACFE Scholarship Committee reviews scholarship applications and recommends recipients to the ACFE Foundation board of directors. For the second year, committee members used a paperless web-based scholarship application management system through ScholarshipExperts to obtain, organize and score scholarship applications from students worldwide.
“We again had a record number of applicants who began the process and in the total number of applicants who made it through the qualified stage,” says R. Cameron (Cam) McFadyen, CFE, retiring committee chairman.
“I offer my congratulations to each of our winners,” McFadyen says. “The bar for the annual competition is always set high so each of them can be very proud.
“I sincerely want to thank my fellow scholarship committee members for their careful, tireless attention to assuring that each applicant received thoughtful consideration — R. Frank Abel, CFE, CPA, CFF, vice chair; Julienne Armbrust, CFE, CPA; Richard Hurley, Ph.D., J.D., CFE, CPA, CFF; and Lynn Norton-DeMets, CFE.
“I especially want to thank Lupe DeLeon [ACFE scholarship committee liaison] for her continued hard work and diligent guidance throughout this process,” McFadyen said.
The ACFE’s Board of Regents voted to name the scholarship program the Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarships in 1998. Tracy Ritchie, CFE, and Larry Jennings, CFE, CPA, were killed Nov. 12, 1997, in Karachi, Pakistan, when terrorists fired on their vehicle during a business trip.
Click here for more information about the Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship Program and applying for the 2014-2015 academic year.
Following are the recipients for the top seven awards and the scholarship committee’s comments:
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$10,000 scholarship: Jonathan Hutchins, Oral Roberts University
Jonathan Hutchins has demonstrated quite clearly that he has a great passion and desire to be successful in the accounting/finance profession. Specifically, his interest is in fraud examination and forensic accounting; he’s already learned a good deal about the field from work experience.
Hutchins has an impressive GPA of 3.88, which he maintains while involved in many activities. He’s president of the ORU Accounting Society and has volunteered with several organizations. He has demonstrated proven leadership qualities and will be working toward his CFE certification and CPA license. |
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$5,000 scholarship: Britney Bandel, University of South Florida
Britney Bandel has become very interested in furthering her knowledge in fraud and increasing her level of expertise. She’s looking forward to graduate school and obtaining her CFE certification and CPA license. Bandel has received several academic awards and is a member of Beta Alpha Psi, Delta Gamma Chapter. She also volunteers her time and has interned at Deloitte & Touche. Britney has a 4.0 GPA and shows much enthusiasm for building her career. |
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$5,000 scholarship: Amanda Powell, Montana State University
Amanda Powell is interested in a career in fraud examination and is looking forward to becoming a CFE. She took a fraud examination class and is using her growing knowledge while working in the family business. She is on the Dean’s List, is a member of MSU’s Beta Alpha Psi and Accounting Club, and volunteers her time to help others. Powell has a 3.92 GPA and plans to attend graduate school. Her goal is to become a CPA. |
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$2,500 scholarship: Eric Holzman, Indiana University
Eric Holzman is working towards his Doctorate in Accounting and will use his knowledge in the field of education. Prior to returning to school, he had a nine-year career as a forensic accountant. His focus after graduation will be on advancing the body of knowledge on financial statement fraud through his research. He has a 3.5 GPA and is a CPA. Holzman also volunteers his time in several professional organizations. |
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$2,500 scholarship: Marisa Lepore, Baruch College
Marisa Lepore is employed as an intelligence analyst with a financial crimes task force. She has extensive knowledge of anti-money laundering protocols and procedures. She is an MBA student and maintains a 3.8 GPA. After she completes her degree, Lepore’s goals are to attain the CFE credential and eventually manage a fraud investigations group. |
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$2,500 scholarship: Kathryn Ton, NYU Stern School of Business
Kathryn Ton is a CFE and CPA and member of the American Bar Association. She has received scholarships for academic merit and has earned recognition for outstanding leadership and service. Ton has a GPA of 3.32, was president of the University of Southern California Accounting Society and volunteers within her community. Her goal is to work for a U.S. federal agency such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Reserve Bank or Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. |
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$2,500 scholarship: Nicholas Trout, Messiah College
Nicholas Trout is an exceptional student who’s working hard to learn more about accounting and anti-fraud applications. He’s a member of his college’s Peer Review Board and vice president of the accounting club. He has a 3.84 GPA and is consistently on the Dean’s List.
Trout volunteers much of his time to help his community and takes on leadership roles in organizing projects. He’ll obtain his CFE credential and CPA license. Trout desires to have a career with the FBI, CIA or IRS. |
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