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Montoursville Resident Places Second in PICPA Essay Contest

PHILADELPHIA – Kellen W. Brown of Montoursville, Pa., won the $1,200 second-place prize in the 2007 Student Writing Competition sponsored by the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA).

Brown graduated from Bloomsburg University in May with a degree in accounting and a concentration in fraud examination. He earned the second-place prize for his essay on assessing the impact of frequent financial information restatements. An additional $600 was awarded to Bloomsburg’s accounting program for Brown’s essay. Brown will begin his professional career at Ernst & Young LLP in Philadelphia.

“It is an honor to be selected as a finalist in a field of so many worthy applicants,” Brown said. “It is important that students take time to do research outside of the classroom to further their knowledge in their field of study.”    

Entries in this annual contest come from undergraduate accounting and business majors attending Pennsylvania colleges and universities, as well as Pennsylvania residents, who attend an out-of-state college or university and major in the same fields. This year 123 students participated.

Shafayat Chowdhury, of Centreville, Va., took the first-place prize of $2,000, while Jacqueline Magee, of Berwyn, Pa., earned $800 for finishing third. The accounting program at Lafayette College earned $1,000 for Chowdhury’s essay, while Bucknell University’s accounting program received $400 for Magee’s essay.

Students and educators who are interested in learning more about PICPA student award programs, scholarship opportunities, and careers in accounting should visit www.cpazone.org.

Founded in 1897, the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants is a professional association of more than 19,000 CPAs who work in public accounting, industry, government, and education. PICPA is the second-oldest state CPA organization in the United States. To find a member CPA in your area, visit our Web site at www.picpa.org and click on CPA Locator. Students and educators can visit PICPA's specially designed site www.CPAzone.org to get the latest information about careers in accounting and the CPA profession.