Georgia Southwestern State University

Malena Williams, a junior accounting major from Davisboro, Ga., has been selected as a PCAOB Scholar for the 2024-2025 academic year. Her recognition includes a $15,000 scholarship funded by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). Williams will graduate in Fall 2025 with a BBA in Accounting. She has maintained a 4.0 GPA while caring for her family and working full-time at a non-profit organization serving underprivileged youth. She is pictured here with her daughter. After graduation, Williams intends to earn an MBA through the Double Canes program at GSW and then pursue CPA certification. The PCAOB Scholars Program is a prestigious national merit-based scholarship program that seeks to benefit students who are likely to become auditors and to make a difference to students who might otherwise choose a different career path. The program is funded through monetary penalties collected by the PCAOB and was created to satisfy a requirement of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. AACSB-accredited schools with a minimum number of accounting majors are eligible to nominate students for the award. Students must demonstrate high ethical standards and maintain at least at 3.3 GPA or be in the top third of their class as well as meet other criteria.

Georgia's Own Credit Union awarded $1,000 to 23 students selected by a panel of judges who considered academic record, financial need, school/community service, and an essay. Including the $23,000 committed to this year's recipients, Georgia's Own has awarded nearly $140,000 in scholarships to Albany students over the last 16 years.

Cynthia Rueda, daughter of Interfor Preston Division employee, David Rueda, recently received an Interfor Tolleson-Wood Family Scholarship.

Synovus has announced its 2019 Jack Parker Scholarship recipients. This year, 133 scholarships totaling $110,500 were awarded to children of Synovus team members across the company's five-state footprint. Scholarship funds are generated each year through team member donations and internal fundraising activities. Among the recipients, Katie Carver of Americus was awarded a scholarship for 2019. Carver attends Georgia Southwestern State University.

Berkmar High senior, Javier Abendano of Lilburn, was awarded a $1000 Preview Day Scholarship Saturday, Oct. 29.

The following students received scholarships from Georgia Southwestern State University for the 2015-16 academic year and were among nearly 350 scholarship recipients.

Recent Georgia Southwestern State University graduate Chase Burnfin of Leesburg, Ga. recently received a $3,500 scholarship for graduate school from the Albany Chapter of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants (GSCPA).

Crisp County High senior, Ellie Cook of Cordele, was awarded a $1000 Preview Day Scholarship Saturday, Jan. 31.