OSU accounting student Francesca Spillman receives $10,000 PCAOB scholarship
Monday, May 24, 2021
Media Contact: Bailey Stacy | Communications Coordinator, Marketing & Communications | 405.744.2700 | bailey.stacy@okstate.edu
Oklahoma State University accounting graduate Francesca Spillman is the recipient of a $10,000 scholarship awarded by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. The merit scholarship benefits students who are likely to become accountants and auditors.
Spillman — a Mauritius native who is also a mother of two, non-traditional student — graduated in December 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a minor in MSIS-information assurance. She is now pursuing a master’s degree in accounting and plans to sit for the certified public accountant exam after graduation.
“I do not take anything for granted,” Spillman said. “I know there are a lot of excellent students. This scholarship will help me to achieve my goal of graduating debt free and I am immensely grateful for that.”
Spillman was nominated by Rachel Cox, chair of the School of Accounting scholarship committee in the Spears School of Business and instructor of professional practice.
“I was honored to have Francesca in class the very first semester I ever taught at OSU,” Cox said. “It was an 8 a.m. Monday class in a room packed with 250 students, but Francesca’s dedication towards her education and diligence towards her studies stood out to me immediately.”
Spillman was an active member of the non-traditional student organization during her time as an OSU undergraduate, serving terms as president, vice president and treasurer. She has also worked as an accounting intern for Love’s Travel Stops.
“She is one of the most kind, humble and compassionate people I know,” Cox said. “She was juggling much more on her plate than the average student, but never once brought that up or used it as an excuse. She went above and beyond to make sure she fully grasped the material we were learning. Her story is inspiring, and I know that the entire accounting faculty thinks very highly of her.”
The PCAOB Scholars Program awards funds to outstanding undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in an accounting degree program at accredited U.S. colleges or universities. It has awarded $13.7 million in scholarships to 1,370 students from 473 different institutions from 2011-2020.
The PCAOB is a nonprofit corporation established by Congress to oversee the audits of public companies in order to protect investors and the public interest by promoting informative, accurate and independent audit reports. PCAOB was formed following the infamous corporate meltdowns of Enron and WorldCom and the scholarship was created from fines imposed on those companies.
“The School of Accounting has professors dedicated to not only teaching accounting but also helping students to prepare for life after college,” Spillman said. “I have enjoyed hearing about their experience in accounting careers prior to teaching. This showed me the practical application of what students learn in class. I also learned from my professors how to conduct myself in a professional way.”