The School of Management (SOM) recently established a new partnership with Kearney & Company, a CPA firm. With an eye toward cultivating future leaders in accounting, Kearney & Co. and the School of Management have established the Kearney & Company Scholarship which provides one year’s full tuition for one undergraduate accounting student.

Accounting student Bryant Le is the recipient of the Kearney Scholarship. In addition to being a full-time student and holding down an internship, Le is also president of Beta Alpha Psi—the national honorary and service fraternity of financial information professionals—and philanthropic chair for Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity.

“The award benevolently given by Kearney & Company will not lessen my 24 hours a week internship. Nor will it lessen my full-time student, undergraduate workload. My daily routine will not be altered.” says Le. “But it is an award such as Kearney & Company’s that fuels my hope. It permits me to aim infinitely high and continue with my education goals.”

Brian Kearney, a 2002 Mason alumnus, worked with SOM to implement the scholarship. One of Kearney’s stipulations requires that the student be working while pursuing an education—a path he followed as he earned his degree.

“Bryant is an excellent student leader—the type of student we want representing SOM. We’re proud that a SOM alumnus made his journey to success easier,” remarked Alison O’Brien, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs at SOM.

SOM is distinctly integrated into the greater Washington, D.C, region forming unique business partnerships with a variety of regional, national and international organizations. SOM’s partners play an integral role in the school’s mission of providing quality undergraduate and graduate business education.

“We’re always delighted when alumni wish to give back to our school and our current students. Brian Kearney has been one of those very successful alumni and felt the connection to a student who is balancing work and a full academic load. His generous gift has made a true difference in Bryant Le’s life,” says O’Brien.

Headquartered in Alexandria, VA, Kearney & Company is founded upon strong ethical ideals, standards, and processes and exclusively serves the Federal Government. It has been recognized as a “Top 100 Accounting Firm” and one of the “100 Best Accounting Firms to Work For” by Accounting Today and named one of Virginia’s Fantastic 50 Business by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce. For more information, visit http://www.kearneyco.com/.