Two UND Students Win Elijah Watts Sells Award in 2022
The American Institute of CPAs has announced the 50 winners of the 2022 Elijah Watt Sells Award, and of those 50 winners two are recent UND graduates. This award is granted to CPA candidates who obtain a cumulative average score above 95.50 across all four sections of the Uniform CPA Examination, pass all four sections on their first attempt and have completed testing in 2022.
Of the nearly 67,000 individuals that sat for the CPA Exam in 2022, two UND Master of Accountancy graduates met the criteria to receive the Elijah Watts Sells Award.
“A hearty congratulations to these 50 individuals. The CPA Exam is rigorous assessment and these individuals have reached a level of understanding and excellence, which has been a milestone of this profession, on their first attempt” said Mike Decker, AICPA Vice President—CPA Examination and Pipeline. “These candidates are commended for an exceptional performance that very few individuals achieve.”
The Elijah Watt Sells Award program was established by the AICPA in 1923 to recognize outstanding performance on the CPA Exam. Sells, one of the first CPAs in the U.S., was active in the establishment of the AICPA and played a key role in advancing education within the profession.
The two individuals listed below are 2022 Sells Award winners from the University of North Dakota.
Aaron Gibson (Virginia), a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance and a Master of Accountancy: Fundamentals Track (M.Acc.) from University of North Dakota, is employed with Washington Gas Light Company in Washington, DC.
Nathan Peasland (North Dakota), a graduate of the University of North Dakota with a Bachelor of Accountancy and a Master of Accountancy: Professional Track (M.Acc.), is employed with Brady Martz and Associates in Grand Forks, ND.
The AICPA, which owns and scores the CPA Exam, works with hundreds of volunteers and other stakeholders to maintain its relevance to the profession and alignment with the knowledge and skills required of a newly licensed CPA.
