ACFE Foundation’s Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship awards students $56,000 in funds for 2022-2023 term

The ACFE Foundation’s Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship has awarded $56,000 in funds to 25 university students from across the U.S., Canada, Nigeria and South Korea for the 2022-2023 academic year. The students, who demonstrated achievement in a field related to the anti-fraud profession, received amounts ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 — paid directly to their schools.

“We had 103 applications this year from around the world. The winners were from schools of all sizes and were interested in a wide variety of subjects from accounting to cybercrimes to education. I’m pleased to see so many young people having an interest in fraud examination and promoting this discipline into the future,” says ACFE Foundation Chairman Charles Washington, CFE. Washington is the senior director of global fraud and asset protection at Pfizer.

Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship funds are awarded to students pursuing a career in the anti-fraud field who have a declared major in either accounting, business administration, finance or criminal justice each year. The foundation also provides scholarship winners with a full year of ACFE membership.

The scholarship is named after Larry Jennings, CFE, and Tracy Ritchie, CFE. They were among five employees of the Houston, Texas-based Union Texas Petroleum Inc. who died in a terrorist attack in Karachi, Pakistan, in 1997.

Current students who are interested in applying for the 2023-2024 academic year scholarship must have a declared major or minor in accounting, business administration, finance or criminal justice and must be enrolled full time at an accredited, four-year college or university through the 2023-2024 school year.

The scholarship is open to both undergraduate and graduate students. According to the foundation, undergraduates must be enrolled in nine semester hours per term and be in the second half of their sophomore year when they apply. Graduate students must be enrolled in six semester hours per term.

The application period for the 2023-2024 academic year opens on Sept. 15, 2022, and ends Feb. 6, 2023. The foundation will announce the winners in April 2023 and distribute the awards in May 2023. The foundation selects scholarship winners based on their completed applications, fraud-related interests and goals, academic transcripts and recommendation forms. Students are ineligible for scholarship funds if they’ve won in the past. For more information about the scholarship and how to apply, visit ACFE.com/scholarship.

Here are the recipients of the 2022-2023 ACFE Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship:

$10,000 scholarship: Michael Wojcikiewicz, Kansas State University

A family member’s experience as a fraud victim sparked Michael Wojcikiewicz’s interest in forensic accounting and fraud investigation. Ever since then, Wojcikiewicz’s interest in the anti-fraud profession has deepened as he’s presented his undergraduate thesis on financial statement fraud at the ACFE Research Institute’s Annual Summer Meeting and passed all four sections of the CFE Exam soon after completing his degree. He also has professional experience in various investigations and internal control assessments.

Wojcikiewicz is currently pursuing a master’s degree in accountancy and maintains a 4.0 GPA all while working in the internal audit department for CVS Health. Wojcikiewicz plans to sit for the CPA exam, join his local ACFE chapter and participate in other professional organizations.

$5,000 scholarship: Cade Bleashka, Bloomsburg University

Cade Bleashka became interested in fraud investigation after learning about the Enron scandal and hopes to become an FBI forensic accountant or work in state law enforcement. Bleashka, who is on the dean’s list with a 3.92 GPA, is an active volunteer both on campus and in his local community and plans to continue his education as a graduate student.

Bleashka’s recommendation writers remarked on his communication skills and ability to dig deep into the materials presented in his classes. He plans to take both the CFE Exam and the CPA exam.

$5,000 scholarship: Mary Madeline (Maddie) Lewis, King’s College, Wilkes-Barre

Maddie Lewis first became interested in fighting fraud after the news broke about the judicial corruption “kids for cash” scandal, which occurred in the county where she grew up. Lewis researched the case for a class project and interviewed victims as part of the project. Her research skills and empathy for the victims caught the attention of the professor, who says Lewis has the potential to make tremendous contributions to the anti-fraud field.

Lewis is majoring in accounting and minoring in forensic accounting and is an audit intern for Baker Tilly, where she’s learning about testing controls and investigating anomalies. She has also worked in the tax practice of a small CPA firm and in the accounts payable department of a dental equipment supplier. She’s the treasurer of the executive board of King’s College’s student association and is president of the campus chapter of Catholic Relief Services. She plans to take the CFE Exam and the CPA licensing exam after she graduates and hopes to work in public accounting while she pursues a master’s degree in forensic accounting. Her long-term career goals include becoming an investigative auditor for the U.S. Department of Justice and teaching future fraud fighters as an adjunct professor.

$5,000 scholarship: Jordan Newman, Georgia Southern University

Jordan Newman’s interest in human behavior and interrogation was influenced by his father who was an investigator. Newman, who is earning a master’s degree in accounting and plans to get a graduate forensic accounting certificate, was inspired to pursue the certificate by a professor at Georgia Southern University who was an FBI agent. Indeed, Newman’s goal is to work in the FBI or another governmental agency to investigate fraud.

Newman is a Certified Fraud Examiner and plans to work for an auditing firm after completing his master’s degree to gain experience before transitioning to forensic accounting. The PCAOB and the Georgia Society of CPAs have recognized Newman’s excellent academic performance and potential as an accountant, and his professors describe him as an “ideal student.”

$5,000 scholarship: Claudia Pitts, University of Scranton

Claudia Pitts says that her interest in fraud examination is rooted in her desire to prevent crime, serve society and help people. Indeed, as a high school student, Pitts discovered that her school district was inaccurately calculating grades, so she recalculated them and reported her findings to the school administration’s attention despite resistance. Pitts, who has a 3.87 GPA, is a well-rounded student who is involved in several civic, school and faith-based organizations. Her career goal is to be a fraud examiner and join a Big 4 accounting firm.

$2,500 scholarship: Yuzu Do, Elon University

Yuzu Do, who is pursuing a combined bachelor’s and master’s degree program in accounting, says that a course in which she had to design an accounting system to prevent and detect fraud for a startup company taught her about the important role anti-fraud professionals play in organizations. Yuzu plans to take the CPA exam and the CFE exam after graduation and work in an anti-fraud role. Her long-term goal is to get a doctoral degree in accounting.

Yuzu volunteers in the community with Junior Achievement and serves as a liaison between Elon University and a community organization, coordinating volunteers for a tutoring program.

$2,500 scholarship: Jaejin Lee, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Growing up in South Korea, Jaejin Lee saw firsthand how frauds can impact stock markets and inexperienced investors. As a doctoral student in financing, Lee focuses his research on the fraudulent behaviors of investment advisors and the “the spillover effect” — how seemingly unrelated events in one country can affect the economics of another country — on fraudulent behaviors in banking. (See “Spillover Effect,” Investopedia.)

Lee has also conducted extensive research in large clinical databases and contributed to building a clinical information registry system in South Korea. He aims to become a published author and finance professor and would like to collaborate with the U.S. SEC and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) to identify and prevent fraud in financial markets.

$2,500 scholarship: Musbaudeen Oladejo, The University of Waikato

Musbaudeen Oladejo, who is a Ph.D. student in accounting, has extensive professional and academic experience in forensic accounting in the U.S. and abroad. Oladejo has expertise in both technical and qualitative approaches and maintains a 4.0 GPA in a rigorous academic program. As a Nigerian citizen, he seeks to increase awareness and help prevent and investigate fraud in the country.

$2,500 scholarship: Jasmine Platt, Boise State University

Public Policy and Administration Ph.D. student Jasmine Platt was exposed to low-wage theft — the practice of paying workers less than minimum wage — by government contractors in her past job. (See “More than $3 billion in stolen wages recovered for workers between 2017 and 2020,” Economic Policy Institute, Dec. 22, 2021.) She identified the need for controls to ensure that spending related to the U.S. infrastructure bill complied with laws. Platt also has particular interest in working to prevent low-wage theft against women and minority workers.

Boise State Multicultural Student Services awarded Platt for her volunteer work on behalf of the Tunnel of Oppression, an interactive exhibit that raises awareness of the different oppressions people face. She has also earned scholarships for her focus on fraud prevention in public procurement.

$1,000 scholarship: Onyekachi Nwando Arene, University of Portsmouth

Onyekachi Nwando Arene is a doctoral student in accounting with a research focus on food fraud. Arene, who also has a master’s degree in international business management and a master’s in forensic accounting, is working toward becoming a Chartered Certified Accountant and a Certified Fraud Examiner. After graduation, Arene plans to work as a fraud examiner, lecturer and researcher.

$1,000 scholarship: Ryan Cannon, University of Albany

According to the scholarship committee, having witnessed the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy when he was a child spurred Ryan Cannon to pursue a challenging degree program in homeland security, cybersecurity and emergency preparedness and business administration. Cannon, who maintains a 3.9 GPA, plans to use the knowledge he’s gained from his program for a career in a government agency, such as the FBI, U.S. Secret Service or the U.S. Treasury.

$1,000 scholarship: Reed Cessna, University of Texas at Austin

Reed Cessna is earning both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from UT Austin’s five-year integrated master’s in professional accounting program. Cessna, who is also minoring in management information systems, has a 4.0 GPA and will be interning in Ernst & Young’s forensics and integrity services division in spring 2023. After he graduates from UT, Cessna plans to become a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Fraud Examiner and work for a public accounting firm or enforcement agency.

$1,000 scholarship: Amy Cohagan, University of South Florida

Amy Cohagan is pursuing a master’s degree in cybercrime with a concentration in digital forensic investigations. Cohagen, who became a CFE in 2021, is a financial crimes investigator for JP Morgan Chase’s Global Security - Electronic Crimes team. After she completes her master’s degree, Cohagen says she plans to gain experience in dark web scraping and cryptocurrency tracing to fight money laundering.

$1,000 scholarship: Philip David, University of Florida

Philip David is pursuing a master’s degree in business administration and is a supervisor in the special investigative unit of AvMed Inc., a health insurance company. David already has five years of professional experience in the anti-fraud field under his belt as an investigator and Certified Fraud Examiner. After he completes his graduate studies, David plans to obtain the Accredited Health Care Fraud Investigator designation and advance into a fraud investigation leadership position AvMed Inc.

$1,000 scholarship: Adelheide Exner, University of Calgary

Adelheide Exner says she’s intrigued by the ways in which laws and regulations appear to be reactive rather than proactive in combating white-collar crime and plans to apply the knowledge she’s gained while earning a 3.6 GPA to tackle challenges in the Canadian energy sector. Exner is pursuing both a master’s in business administration and law degree with a focus on accounting, fraud and ethics.

$1,000 scholarship: Elizabeth Fragala, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Elizabeth Fragala first became interested in the anti-fraud profession after researching a fraud scheme for a high school assignment, and she chose to attend Embry-Riddle for its forensic accounting and fraud examination program. Fragala hopes to take the CFE Exam before she graduates and wishes to combat fraud by working for the IRS or CIA.

$1,000 scholarship: Anthony Graziano, Dixie State University

Anthony Graziano decided to pursue a graduate degree after having established himself in a career conducting anti-money laundering investigations and working in law enforcement. After he graduates, Graziano says he intends to obtain a certification in cryptocurrency tracing to conduct crypto-fraud investigations.

$1,000 scholarship: Jillian Heier, University of Scranton

Jillian Heier’s natural curiosity and analytical mind led her to choose the forensic accounting program at the University of Scranton. Heier, who is active in her local ACFE chapter, plans to take what she’s learned in school to work in the FBI’s financial crimes unit and fight financial terrorism.

$1,000 scholarship: Chukwuemeka (Emeka) Ihekweazu, Sam Houston State University

Chukwuemeka (Emeka) Ihekweazu is a Ph.D. student in digital forensics with a 4.0 GPA. His plan is to use technology such as gamification and virtual reality to educate young students and people in law enforcement on fraud, forensics and laws concerning digital forensics to foster interest in the anti-fraud field.

$1,000 scholarship: Ojeifoh Okosun, Texas Southern University

While working in the Nigerian financial sector, Ojeifoh Okosun got an up-close look at how fraudulent breaches can severely impact companies, communities and people’s lives. He is currently researching white-collar crime and cybercriminal activities and, specifically, the Nigerian prince scheme, for his criminal justice doctoral dissertation. Okosun recently obtained his CFE credential and plans to work as an anti-fraud consultant after he graduates.

$1,000 scholarship: Theresa Parson, Rutgers University

Theresa Parson is a first-generation college student and accounting major who says she’s driven by a calling to public service, a commitment to fraud prevention and detection, and a fondness for numbers. Parson has earned accolades and honors for her knowledge, work ethic and 3.9 GPA, and she has considerable experience from an internship at NASA and from attending the 2021 KPMG Rise Leadership Institute, as well as from numerous extracurricular activities. Parsons is currently an internal audit intern for Save the Children and hopes to work in the public sector as a forensic accountant and anti-fraud professional.

$1,000 scholarship: Jonathan Perez-Mota, University of South Florida

Jonathan Perez-Mota has a background in military intelligence and is currently in the U.S. Army Reserves, a master’s degree student in accounting and a consultant for Deloitte. Perez-Mota, who also plans to get a law degree, is particularly interested in blockchain technology and artificial intelligence (AI) for their potential to detect fraud and would like to use his knowledge and expertise to fight fraud and money laundering.

$1,000 scholarship: Demmy Polad, Dixie State University

As vice president of Dixie State University’s ACFE Club and a forensic accounting student, Demmy Polad got the hands-on experience that inspired her decision to pursue a career in accounting to fight fraud. Polad, who will be entering a master’s degree program, has a 3.92 GPA and plans to earn a CPA license and Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and CFE credentials.

$1,000 scholarship: Cora Power, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Cora Power is an accounting major with a 3.91 GPA and an intern at the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury office in its investigation unit. Power, who is also active in student government, plans to become a CFE and get a CPA license and apply her knowledge and expertise to fight fraud.

$1,000 scholarship: Caira Williams, Valdosta State University

Caira Williams is a senior accountant in the controls and compliance division of Cummins — and Master of Accountancy student with a 4.0 GPA. Williams is known as a detail-oriented professional who strives to promote effective internal controls. She plans to earn a CPA license and work for the state of Georgia as an anti-fraud professional.