Office of Communications Karen Smith, Director 2601 Blair Stone Road Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2208 Phone: 850.922.8981 • Fax: 850.921.9019 Halsey Beshears, Secretary Ron DeSantis, Governor For Immediate Release Contact: [email protected] August 23, 2019 (850) 922-8981 Florida Board of Accountancy Announces Clay Ford Scholarship Recipients for CPA students $200,000 awarded to deserving college students through annual scholarship Gainesville, Fla. – The Florida Board of Accountancy (FBA), a professional regulation board of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), today announced the 2019 recipients of the Clay Ford Scholarship which is awarded to minority students who are pursuing their fifth year of an approved accounting education program which is required to become a certified public accountant (CPA). “I’m very proud of these deserving students as they work on completing their requirements to become a licensed CPA,” said DBPR Secretary Halsey Beshears. “Through the contributions of current licensed accountants, the Clay Ford Scholarship provides a pathway for recipients to finish their education and jumpstart their accounting careers.” The Clay Ford scholarships are administered through the CPA Education Minority Assistance Program, which was created in 1999 to encourage minorities to enter the CPA profession. The scholarships are awarded on a combination of criteria related to both financial need and scholastic ability and performance. The CPA Education Minority Assistance Program is funded by a portion from each individual and CPA firm license fee. Through the award, scholarship applicants may be awarded up to $6,000 per semester for a maximum of two semesters. 2019 Clay Ford Scholarship recipients include: • Amanda Aflalo (University of South Florida) • Julia Blair (Florida State University) • Anne Bryant (Stetson University) • Genisa Callwood (Stetson University) • Ivan A. Cardenas Jr. (University of Central Florida) • Alfredo Cortez (Florida State University) • Christy Evans (University of Florida) • Charvae Gaines (Florida Atlantic University) • Nataly Gonzalez (Nova Southeastern University) • Jennifer Gravitt (Florida State University) • Pierce LaPrey (Florida Gulf Coast University) • Ashley Lezniewicz (Stetson University) • Kristie Millan (Warner University) • Stephanie Murphy (Webber International University) LICENSE EFFICIENTLY. REGULATE FAIRLY. WWW.MYFLORIDALICENSE.COM • Nicole Ordway (University of North Florida) • Isis Perez (Florida International University) • Tiffany Pham (University of Tampa) • Daniel Prinz (Florida International University) • Miguel Santana (Florida International University) • Loidys Scott (Florida International University) • Fatima Zapata de Rivero (University of Miami) Applications are accepted each year on a rolling basis and will be applied to the appropriate school year. The deadline for applications for the 2020 – 2021 school year is June 1, 2020. Applications are available online at www.myfloridalicense.com/CPAScholarship. ### The Department of Business and Professional Regulation licenses and regulates more than one million businesses and professionals in the State of Florida, including accountants, architects and interior designers, asbestos consultants, athlete agents, auctioneers, barbers, building code administrators and inspectors, community association managers, construction contractors, cosmetologists, electrical contractors, employee leasing companies, geologists, home inspectors, landscape architects, mold assessors and remediators, pilot commissioners, real estate appraisers and brokers, and veterinarians, as well as businesses dealing in alcoholic beverages, tobacco, food service, public lodging, pari-mutuel wagering, and condominiums, timeshares, and other cooperative residential arrangements. The Department’s mission is to license efficiently and regulate fairly. For more information, please visit www.myfloridalicense.com. Follow @FloridaDBPR on Twitter or Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation on Facebook for important information and updates on matters relating to Florida’s business and professional licensing. .