I am so excited to share this update on my mentee, Darion Wiggs, a debt-free student. I first introduced you to him in 2015 when he graduated from Bloom Trail High School in Chicago Heights, IL, and enrolled in the University of Illinois, Urbana, Champaign on a full-ride Gates Millennium Scholarship. The Gates Scholarship is awarded to students for their community service, academic achievements, and strong leadership potential.
I actually met him July in 2014 through the Trio Talent Search program run by Jason Thomas at Prairie State Community College, which supports 1st generation college students. I thought he was a good candidate for the Gates Scholarship because I saw how determined and focused he was. During this time, he was living in Ford Heights, IL one of the most impoverished towns in the U.S. where the median income for males is $22, 263 and per capita income is $17,494. He knew his family did not have the money to pay for his education so applying for as many scholarships as possible was his goal. Making a difference in his chosen profession beyond college was very important to him.
In 2019, 4 years later, I provided an update on his graduation from the University of Illinois Gies College of Business with a BA in Accounting. During the last 2 years of undergrad, he also had the opportunity to intern with Ernst & Young one of the top accounting firms in the nation. He also traveled to Spain, his first international trip to study abroad.
In May of 2020, he graduated with his Master of Accounting Science with a concentration in Real Estate from the Gies Business School at the University of Illinois with Honors. He began his career as a Financial Services Organization Assurance Staff member at Ernst & Young in their Audit Department where he was also able to obtain his Certified Public Accountant License (CPA).
I have now come full circle with Darion as a College, Career, and Scholarship Coach and am so proud he graduated from college and graduate school debt-free. He recently started his own company Wiggs CPA Tax and Accounting and is currently giving back by serving as Treasurer for my ScholarShopMom non-profit. Our vision for ScholarShopMom is “a world where students can pursue and achieve their post-secondary education debt-free.” We are in the business of changing lives.
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