ULM Students Win Top Louisiana Accounting Scholarships

When Kelly Lohman learned she'd won Louisiana's most prestigious undergraduate accounting scholarship, it confirmed what her professors already knew: excellence thrives on the bayou.

Lohman claimed the Kit Smith Memorial Scholarship, the highest honor awarded by the Louisiana Society of Certified Public Accountants. Fellow ULM students Rachel Turnbow and Riley Timmer joined her as scholarship recipients, bringing nearly $9,000 in total funding to Monroe.

The sweep represents a remarkable achievement for a single university. Only 19 undergraduate accounting scholarships were awarded across the entire state this year, and ULM students secured three of them.

Hampton Roane, a CPA and board member of the LCPA, presented the awards during a campus recognition event. His assessment was direct: "The scholarship awards prove the quality of the students and faculty at ULM influencing future CPAs."

ULM President Dr. Carrie Castille pointed to the top state honor as evidence of both student talent and strong academic programming. The accounting program emphasizes small class sizes and close partnerships with the accounting profession to prepare graduates for careers in public accounting, industry, and government.

Why This Inspires

For Lohman, the scholarship meant more than financial support. "It's so reassuring to know that I'm on the right path and that not only my professors, but my university and the LCPA believe in me and my future," she said.

That belief is built on a foundation of rigorous curriculum and dedicated faculty mentorship. Provost Dr. Michelle McEacharn, who holds the Banowsky Chair of Accounting, has championed the program's focus on preparing students for professional certification and leadership.

The results speak for themselves. When a single university claims the state's top honor and multiple additional awards, it signals something special happening in those classrooms. Katie Wilder, a CPA and ULM accounting instructor, summed it up simply: "At ULM, the best is on the Bayou, and that excellence is being recognized at the state level."

Three students just proved her right.