For the seventh consecutive year, a Farmer School student has won a scholarship from the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, but for the first time ever, two FSB students won the scholarship.

Emma Gough, an accountancy and data analytics major, and Tommy Bandedo, an accountancy and economics major, learned late last month that they have received $15,000 scholarships for the 2024-25 school year.

“I was honestly just very surprised and overwhelmed with gratitude to the point of tears. I work during the school year and work two jobs over breaks to try to pay for my education. It’s very stressful and it means I don’t take my education for granted and always spare no effort when it comes to it,” Gough said. “When I found out that I was nominated for and actually received this award I was not only honored but speechless because there’s honestly no better feeling than seeing all your hard work paying off and knowing that all that effort isn’t going unnoticed.”

"I am honored to be selected for the PCAOB scholarship, commemorating the university's accounting program. This scholarship is a stepping stone toward my pursuit of becoming a forensic/audit accountant after my graduation in 2026,” Bandedo said. “This opportunity could not have been made possible without the help of Professor Dale Stoel, Professor Elizabeth Killy, and Professor Amanda Pyzoha for encouraging me to explore various fields of accounting, and the PCAOB for giving me the opportunity."

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 created the PCAOB to oversee the audits of public companies and other issuers in order to protect the interests of investors and further the public interest in the preparation of informative, accurate and independent audit reports. Part of the act’s mandate requires that monetary penalties imposed in PCAOB disciplinary proceedings be used to fund a merit scholarship program for students in accredited accounting degree programs. The awards have been given annually since 2011.

Those nominated for the award must demonstrate interest and aptitude in accounting and auditing as evidenced by an overall GPA of 3.3 or higher or being in the top 1/3 of their overall class and must demonstrate high ethical standards.