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This year’s AGA Datathon—a nationwide competition challenging college students to apply their data science skills to solve real-world government accountability problems—drew talent from many of the nation’s top business colleges. The Costello College of Business at Â鶹ÊÓƵ was well represented by the team known as the Fiscal Patriots, who rose above the competition to capture first place.

Growing up in southern Virginia, Sandy Torchia, BS Accounting ’93, discovered her passion for accounting early. During high school, she realized that hard work in the field could not only open doors to exciting opportunities but also to a fulfilling career.

Managers’ attempts to distract investors from bad news have serious implications for market efficiency.

Receiving the Janis S. Reed Scholarship sharpened the focus even more for the goal-oriented Anh Tran. Wrapping up her final semester as an undergraduate student in accounting and completing the bachelor’s to accelerated master’s (BAM) program, she already had her eyes on the larger picture.

The students’ trip to the headquarters showed them how they could apply what they have learned in the classrooms as future professionals, whether it be at the SEC or elsewhere.

As Ngoc Le was wrapping up her sophomore year at the Â鶹ÊÓƵ School of Business, she was surprised to learn that she had been nominated for the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) scholarship. After a demanding application process, her hard work was rewarded as she was named a PCAOB scholar.