Accounting alums receive national Sells Award

Wesley Sweigart and Katie Warlick recently received the Elijah Watt Sells Award in recognition of their cumulative score across all fours sections of the Certified Public Accounting Examination.

A total of 95,858 individuals sat for the examination in 2017, with 58 candidates meeting the criteria to receive the Sells Award, presented by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) since 1923. The award namesake was one of the first CPAs in the United States and was active in the establishment of the AICPA; he also played a key role advancing professional education within the profession.

Sweigart ’16, ’17M is an assurance associate with RSM US LLP; Warlick ’17M is a tax associate with CLiftonLarsonAllen.

Mike Decker, AICPA vice president of examinations, stated, “Passing the exam is a career milestone. And the extraordinary performance of the Sells Award winners is truly an impressive accomplishment.”

Jack Cathey, director of the Master of Accountancy program in the Belk College of Business, said, “These two alumni not only thrived in the Belk College of Business MACC program but are shining examples of passing with distinction. Katie and Wesley did not just test in the top 1 percent but in the top .06 percent.”

Read about how Sweigart and Warlick prepared for the CPA exam.