Yanethzy Lara and Nazma Reza, accounting students in the Marilyn Davies College of Business, have been awarded scholarships from the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) for 2020-21.

Since 2011, the PCAOB has administered a scholarship program for undergraduate and graduate accounting students enrolled in accredited U.S. colleges and universities. PCAOB’s Scholars Program 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.

Merit-based, the PCAOB program encourages educational institutions to give special consideration to students from populations that have been historically underrepresented in the accounting profession. The one-time award covers educational expenses from tuition and fees to books, supplies and equipment required for courses.

Both Lara and Reza were nominated by Dr. Marvin Williams, Chair of the College’s Department of Accounting & International Business.

“I am truly honored and grateful for this recognition. The scholarship is a huge blessing and a major contributor to my continuing education and will help ease the burden of my educational expenses,” said Reza. “This recognition will make a positive impact on my education and it will make me one step closer towards my academic goal.”

Reza, who is pursuing an MBA in accounting, has plans to graduate next summer. She works full-time as an accountant in the service industry. Her future, plans post-graduation, is to earn her CPA license to ultimately open a CPA firm. In her spare time, she volunteers at local schools and in her community, including The Houston Food Bank.

“Accounting is known to be one of the most trustworthy professions,” said Reza. “I chose this field because it is the true measure of a business’s health. For me, it requires all the very best virtues of our lives such as truthfulness, honesty, and integrity. I honor the truthfulness and transparency in all aspects of life, and this is one of the few fields that deal with it.”

When Lara learned that she earned the scholarship, she was thrilled to say the least.“I was so excited! I ran through the hallway of my home,” she said.

With an anticipated graduation date in 2022, Lara says that she always had an affinity toward mathematics.

“I’ve was always more interested in mathematical subjects,” she emphasized. “I would get a sort of adrenaline rush when solving mathematical problems. This love for math has led me to meet incredibly intelligent individuals who are in the accounting profession. I decided then to take a basic accounting course and within minutes I knew this was the career I wanted.”

After earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Lara’s next stop is to earn an MBA followed by her CPA licensure.

Both Lara and Reza believe that they would not have received such an opportunity if they were attending any other university, but UHD.

“Without Professor Williams recognition and recommendation, I would not have this honor. If I was attending another university instead of UHD, I don’t think this would have been possible,” said Reza.

Dr. Cathy Zishang Liu is very proud of Reza and Lara’s recent recognitions.

“On the behalf of the accounting faculty, congratulations to Nazma and Yanethzy,” said the Chair of Accounting & International Business Department and Associate Professor of Accounting. “It’s wonderful to see our students to accomplish such excellence in accounting study during this time. Their determination and courage inspire all of us in the UHD community. As I applaud these students, I also want to recognize our faculty members, who nurture our students on their academic journey of scholarly development and our dedicated staff. Again, we are very proud of these students.”