4 th Annual EIU "Accounting Challenge" Recognizes Top High School Students

Press Release
April 10, 2009

4th Annual EIU “Accounting Challenge” Recognizes Top High School
Students

Teutopolis at the Top, Followed by Vandalia and Lawrenceville; Benjamin Putbrese of Flora
Logs Top Student Award
Eastern Illinois University’s Accountancy Program in the Lumpkin College of Business and Applied
Sciences had a record turnout at its 4th Annual Accounting Challenge held on Thursday, April 2. The
Challenge acquainted over 250 students from 18 high schools with information on career opportunities in
Accounting, the history of the EIU Accountancy program, and a tour of the EIU campus. Kelsey Swing,
a manager at Gilbert, Metzger, and Madigan, CPAs, was the keynote speaker at the lunch session. The
highlight of the day was an academic competition of financial accounting skills.

In the individual category, first through fifth place students in the competition received a plaque
recognizing their accomplishment. In addition, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place contestants receive a $1,500, $1,000,
and $500 scholarship to major in accounting at EIU, respectively. In the team category, over 70 teams of
3-4 students competed for the top group average score. Plaques were given to the teachers of the first
through fifth place teams based on team average exam scores. In additions, checks of $250 for 1st place,
$150 for 2nd place, and $100 each for 3rd through 5th place were given to the team schools in recognition
of excellence in classroom instruction.
In the individual academic competition, the top ten places in the Accounting Challenge were as follows:
Place
Team Members
School
1st
Benjamin Putbrese
Flora High School
2nd (tie)
Lora Dust
Teutopolis High School
2nd (tie)
Mitch Whightsil
Vandalia Community High School
4th
Meghan Walter
Fairfield High School
5th (tie)
Graham Morris
Lawrenceville High School
5th (tie)
Ashley Whitney
Monticello High School
7th (tie)
Austin Schukar
Vandalia Community High School
7th (tie)
Kirsten Lee
Fairfield High School
7th (tie)
Travis Deem
Rantoul High School
10th (tie)
Brianna Land
Lawrenceville High School
10th (tie)
Jacob Hill
Vandalia Community High School

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In the team competition, the top give High School teams placed as follows:
Place
School
Team Members
Instructor
1st
Teutopolis High School Lora Dust, Jenna Funneman, Jenessa Schabbing
Dan
Blankenship
2nd Vandalia
Community
Jade Ledbetter, Cody Kiel, Mitch Whightsil,
Lori Meseke
High School
Austin Schukar
3rd (tie)
Lawrenceville High
Aaron McCullough, Brianna Land, Graham
Carla Kull
School
Morris
3rd (tie)
Flora High School
Benjamin Putbrese, Olivia Richardson, Avery
Alicia Westjohn
Peters
5th Monticello
High Adam Koncel, Matt Westerhof, Ashley Whitney Chris Townsend
School


Professor Richard Palmer, Director of the Accountancy Program at EIU described the 2009 event at EIU
as “the best of my four years of working with the Challenge.” Palmer noted that the students were “lively
and very much into making a fun day of it.” The goal, Palmer said, is to “provide an opportunity for
students get introduced to the collegiate environment and obtain recognition for their efforts to master the
discipline of accounting.” He noted that the number of high school competitors was up again over last
year’s record high and added that “We are grateful for the support of the high school teachers who not
only do a great job in the classroom, but also take time out of their schedules to help introduce their
students to the world of opportunities associated with their studies.” Palmer also expressed his
appreciation for the “assistance provided by EIU Accounting students and Beta Alpha Psi honor society
in making the day a success.”
Roann Kopel, EIU Professor and an Illinois CPA Society Accounting Educator of the Year, was
impressed with the performance of the students and felt the Challenge message was a good one for the
students. Kopel observed that, “even in a down market the ability to handle accounting problems is a
highly valued skill” and that she hopes the students will “continue to pursue their study of accounting at
EIU or another high quality accounting program.”
The EIU Accountancy Program is one of only 168 schools and departments of Accountancy in the world
that is separately accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International,
the premiere accrediting organization in business. For more information about the Eastern Illinois
University Accountancy Program, contact Professor Richard J. Palmer, Director, at rjpalmer@eiu.edu or
by phone at (217)-581-8308.



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Professor Richard Palmer presents 1st
Professor Richard Palmer presents 2nd
Professor Richard Palmer presents
Place Individual Award to Benjamin
Place (tie) Individual Award to Mitch
2nd (tie) Place Individual Award to
Putbrese of Flora High School
Whightsil of Vandalia High School
Lora Dust of Teutopolis High


School





Professor Richard Palmer presents 4th Professor Richard Palmer presents 5th
Professor Richard Palmer presents
Place Individual Award to Meghan
Place (tie) Individual Award to
5th Place (tie) Individual Award to
Walter of Fairfield High School
Graham Morris of Lawrenceville High
Ashley Whitney of Monticello High

School
School





Professor Richard Palmer presents 77h Professor Richard Palmer presents 77h
Professor Richard Palmer presents
Place (tie) Individual Award to
Place (tie) Individual Award to Kirsten 77h Place (tie) Individual Award to
Austin Schukar of Vandalia High
Lee of Fairfield High School
Travis Deem of Rantoul High
School

School









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Professor Richard Palmer presents
Professor Richard Palmer presents 10th

10th Place (tie) Individual Award to
Place (tie) Individual Award to Jacob
Brianna Land of Lawrenceville High
Hill of Vandalia High School
School






1st Place Team Winner:: Professor
2nd Place Team Winner:: Professor
3rd Place (tie) Team Winner::
Richard Palmer presents to
Richard Palmer presents to Vandalia
Professor Richard Palmer presents
Teutopolis High School students
Community High School students Jade to Lawrenceville High School
Lora Dust, Jenna Funneman, Jenessa
Ledbetter, Cody Kiel, Mitch
students Aaron McCullough,
Schabbing and their teacher Dan
Whightsil, and Austin Schukar and
Brianna Land, and Graham Morris
Blankenship
their teacher Lori Meseke.
and their teacher Carla Kull








3rd Place(tie) Team Winner::
5th Place Team Winner:: Professor

Professor Richard Palmer presents to
Richard Palmer presents to Monticello
Flora High School students Benjamin High School students Adam Koncel,
Putbrese, Olivia Richardson, and
Matt Westerhof, and Ashley Whitney
Avery Peters and their teacher Alicia
and their teacher Chris Townsend
Westjohn



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