BSM/MACCT alum earns 2014 Elijah Watt Sells Award

Megan E. Baumgartner (BSM/MACCT ’14) has been named a 2014 recipient of the American Institute of CPAs’ Elijah Watt Sells Award.

The AICPA bestows the prestigious award upon candidates who obtain a cumulative average score above 95.50 across all four sections of the Uniform CPA Examination and pass all four sections of the examination on their first attempt. As a 2014 award winner, Baumgartner is one of just 60 individuals out of the more than 90,000 who sat for the exam to achieve the criteria.

“It is a huge honor to receive this award, and my experiences at the Freeman School definitely contributed to my success,” said Baumgartner, who serves on the financial services assurance staff with EY in McLean, Virginia. “I would not be where I am today without my accounting professors. Their passion encouraged me to pursue accounting and provided me with a fundamental understanding of the field.”

“I had the privilege of knowing Megan as a student, as an advisee in the BSM/Master of Accounting program, and as my teaching and graduate assistant, all roles in which she excelled,” said Christine Smith, assistant director of the joint BSM/MACCT program. “She is truly exceptional, and there’s no doubt in my mind that she has some very exciting days ahead of her.”

The Elijah Watt Sells Award program was established by the AICPA in 1923 to recognize outstanding performance on the CPA examination. Sells, one of the first CPAs in the United States, was active in the establishment of the AICPA and played a key role in advancing professional education within the profession.

“To place in the top .1 percent of CPA candidates in a given year is a remarkable achievement, and one that speaks volumes about Megan’s hard work, perseverance and dedication to excellence,” said Ira Solomon, dean of the Freeman School. “I couldn’t be more proud of her for earning this extraordinary honor.”