Carley Pruett, a rising senior accounting major at the University of Tennessee at Martin from Bradford, was selected to receive the $15,000 Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) Scholars Program Scholarship for the 2026-27 academic year.
Pruett was nominated for the scholarship by Dr. Laura Hatch, associate professor of accounting. Pruett, who is pursuing an agricultural business minor, learned that she had received the scholarship earlier this month while working a summer internship in the accounting department at Sustainable Beef, a producer-owned beef packing plant in North Platte, Nebraska.
Pruett is the second UT Martin student in as many years to receive the scholarship, as Colton Bailey – a summa cum laude UT Martin graduate last May with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree – received the scholarship last year.
“I plan to begin studying for and sitting for the (certified public accountant) exam as soon as possible,” Pruett said of her career plans. “I am grateful for the many connections I have made with faculty and accounting professionals during my time at UTM, and I look forward to exploring the many career opportunities those relationships have helped create.”
Pruett is one of 677 students nationwide and one of only 14 students from a Tennessee college or university to receive the merit-based PCAOB Scholars Program Scholarship for this academic year.
“Carley is well-deserving of this award,” said Bethan Elam, lecturer of accounting and Pruett’s academic adviser. “She shines in and out of the classroom through her dedication to her academics, collaboration with her peers and service to the university. She has a very bright accounting career ahead of her.”
The scholarship program’s overarching goals are to benefit outstanding students who are likely to become auditors and to make a difference to eligible students who might otherwise pursue a different career path.
Scholarship recipients are nominated by their respective institutions, which participate in the PCAOB Scholars Program based on their accreditation and the number of students they graduate with accounting degrees each year.
The PCAOB is a nonprofit corporation established by Congress to oversee the audits of public companies in order to protect investors and further the public interest in the preparation of informative, accurate and independent audit reports.
The PCAOB also oversees the audits of brokers and dealers registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including compliance reports filed pursuant to federal securities laws.
The PCAOB started a mentor program in 2023, pairing scholarship recipients with PCAOB staff. The program is completely voluntary, but those who are invited to take part are asked to fully commit to participating for the nine-month duration of the program.
PHOTO: Carley Pruett, a senior accounting major at UT Martin from Bradford, was selected to receive the $15,000 Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) Scholars Program Scholarship for the 2026-27 academic year. She was one of 677 students nationwide and one of 14 from a Tennessee college or university to receive the scholarship.
