Kimberly Deyak, SBA ’15, ’14, obtained a cumulative average score above 95.50 across all four sections of the CPA Exam on her first attempt, earning the Elijah Watt Sells Award.

“It’s an honor to be recognized for this prestigious achievement at a national level with this elite group of people,” she said. “Oakland University’s accounting program prepared me every step of the way. The professors were always available beyond the classroom to offer guidance, suggestions and support.”

The CPA Exam is known as one of the most difficult professional credential exams. The average passing rate is one of the lowest in any professional qualification test. A total of 93,742 individuals sat for the examination in 2015, with 75 candidates meeting the criteria to receive the Elijah Watt Sells Award. Deyak is one of five winners from Michigan.

Deyak supplemented her Oakland accounting education with various roles at Plante Moran. She joined the firm’s Assurance Staff full time in January.

The Elijah Watt Sells Award program was established by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) in 1923 to recognize outstanding performance on the CPA Examination. Sells, one of the first CPAs in the U.S., was active in the establishment of the AICPA and played a key role advancing professional education within the profession.