Emily Ahlstrom, MGT ’20, was named a 2020 Sells Award winner by The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA).
Among the nearly 75,000 people who took the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam last year, only 89 individuals satisfied the requirements needed to earn the Elijah Watt Sells award, a demonstration of mastery of materials tested.
“Emily showed a quiet confidence in class,” said Tom King, Accountancy Department Chair and Professor of Accountancy. “Whenever I cold called her, she responded instantly with an answer demonstrating that she not only was paying close attention but that she had mastered the material at hand. This woman has a very bright future and will serve as a brand ambassador for our Department and School.”
To qualify for the award, CPA candidates must obtain a cumulative average score above 95.50 across all four sections of the Uniform CPA Examination, pass all four sections on their first attempt and have completed testing in 2020.
“Winning this award would not have been possible without the education I received from Weatherhead,” Ahlstrom said. “I came in as an undecided major, so I am very grateful to the professors who encouraged me to pursue accounting in the first place.”
Ahlstrom is employed at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Cleveland Ohio in Capital Markets and Accounting Advisory Services (CMAAS). She holds a secondary major in International Studies from CWRU.
Tim Mayer, BS/MAcc '19, received the award last year, a rare but extraordinary achievement to have students from the same school win the award in back-to-back years.
Learn more about Weatherhead's Master of Accountancy program.