Rachel Absolu, a senior studying accounting at the Donald G. Costello College of Business at George Mason University, was awarded the Kearney and Company Scholarship in Accounting for the academic year of 2023–2024. Accounting alumnus Jae Hoon Jeong, who graduated in December 2023, received the Accounting Excellence Scholarship and James R. Beers Endowed Scholarship during his final academic year.
The Kearney and Company Scholarship in Accounting is awarded to an undergraduate accounting student involved with community service. The Accounting Excellence Scholarship recognizes an outstanding undergraduate accounting major in the Costello College of Business. Also intended for undergraduates in accounting, the James R. Beers Endowed Scholarship was established in 2006 by Beers & Cutler in honor of founding partner James R. Beers. For the 2023–2024 academic year, 18 Costello College of Business students received scholarships from the accounting area.
These scholarships honor and reward hard work, sacrifice, and top skillsets in a competitive academic concentration, where graduates take on prestigious roles, such as opening their own accounting practices and making partner at major firms. Because of the financial assistance, Absolu and Jeong could continue their education journeys with fewer worries. “For the spring semester, I was able to take time off of work and take 15 credits which I've never done before,” says Absolu, “and just focus on doing all my classes, having all my tuition paid, books and everything paid as well.” Perhaps most importantly, the prestige of the scholarships opened doors to people and opportunities.
With all her courses completed online, Absolu was largely unfamiliar with the physical landscape of George Mason. However, her scholarship recognition brought her to the Fairfax Campus for an event, where she met fellow scholarship recipients and the donors who funded her scholarship. Bolstered by the achievement, she has begun working at PwC as an audit intern, laying the foundation for a career after her graduation in December 2024. Jeong’s student experience brought him to campus for classes. After being awarded the Accounting Excellence and James R. Beers Scholarships, he embraced the opportunities to network with accounting professionals at events associated with the scholarships. “I have met fellow scholarship recipients and alumni who have shared their experiences and offered valuable career advice,” he says. “These connections have been instrumental in shaping my career path and providing insights into various aspects of the accounting profession.”
Jeong looks back at his George Mason education as a transformative journey of finding his own value. During a particularly demanding course, he initially struggled and, at times, doubted if he could handle the subject. But rather than continue struggling or giving up, he sought help from peers and professors by attending study groups and office hours. “Through these interactions, I realized that seeking assistance was not a sign of weakness but rather a path to growth,” he says. “This realization was a critical step in my journey of self-discovery.” As an online student, Absolu has made sure to stay in close contact with her professors, receiving guidance from them as she determines the next steps in her education and career. Like Jeong, she plans to start studying for her CPA exams after graduation. She hopes to parlay her current intern position into a full-time offer within a year.
The accomplishments of Rachel Absolu and Jae Hoon Jeong are their own, brought about by determination and grit. Like the assistance they sought from peers and faculty members, the support from the scholarship donors helped bring them another step closer to their grand ambitions.
To support accounting students, like Absolu and Jeong, make a gift to student scholarships.