I am so excited to share this update on my mentee Darion Wiggs. I first introduced you to him in 2015 when he graduated from Bloom Trail High School in Chicago Heights , IL and enrolled into the University of Illinois, Urbana, Champaign on a full-ride Gates Millennium Scholarship.
I actually met him July 2014 through the Trio Talent Search program run by Jason Thomas at Prairie State College, which supports 1st generation college students. I thought he was a good candidate for the Gates Millennium Scholarship because I saw how determined and focused he was. He knew his family had no money to pay for his education so applying for as many scholarships as possible was his goal.
In 2019, 4 years later I provided an update regarding his graduation from the University of Illinois Gies College of Business with a BA in Accounting. During the last 2 years of undergrad he also had the opportunity to intern with Ernst and Young one of the top accounting firms in the nation and study abroad in Spain.
Now, May of 2020 he has graduated from the University of Illinois with Honors from the #2 accounting program in the nation! He completed his Master of Accounting Science with a Concentration in Real Estate and has successfully completed half of the CPA exams which have a 50% pass rate nationwide. He will begin his career as a Financial Services Organization Assurance Staff member at Ernst & Young in their Audit Department in the Fall.
I have come full circle with him as a College and Career and Scholarship Coach-from high school graduation to graduate school graduation. It was a pleasure working with him because he is hardworking, polite, respectful, appreciative, and a nice young man.
I am most proud of the fact that he graduated from undergrad and graduate school debt free. What a blessing. Way to go Darion!