AB Davis Awarded KPMG Scholarship

AB Davis Awarded KPMG Scholarship

Montgomery, Ala.—Huntingdon College senior Abrianna (A.B.) Davis of Calera, Alabama, has been selected to receive the KPMG Master of Accounting with Data Analytics (MADA) Program Scholarship at Alabama State University. She is one of eight students selected to receive the scholarship, which covers tuition, books, and fees and provides a monetary stipend.

According to Dr. Kamal Hingorani, Dean of the Percy J. Vaughn Jr. College of Business Administration at ASU, KPMG, one of the nation’s “Big-Four” accounting firms, provided a grant of $750,000 over three years to “enable ASU’s Department of Accounting and Finance to upgrade its curriculum, train its faculty, and have access to the latest data analytics tools and technologies on a state-of-the-art hosted cloud platform provided by KPMG.” The program will also add three new courses focusing on data analytics and automation.

The KPMG MADA program, an award-winning, collaborative, first-of-its-kind program, prepares students to hit the ground running in today’s data age by providing specialized skills for practical use of the latest analytics technology needed in today’s data-driven accounting environment. Alabama State University is one of four historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) recently added to the program.

“I’m really excited—I can’t believe this is all happening,” said Ms. Davis, an accounting major who has filled scores of leadership roles at Huntingdon. She is a member of the women’s basketball team, a Huntingdon Ambassador, Student Recruiter, Resident Assistant, president of the Black Student Union, secretary for the Student Athlete Advisory Council, Orientation Leader, chair of the Student Engagement Committee for the Huntingdon Race and Justice Initiative, and a member of the CCV Council, Allies, the Accounting Club, the Business Club, Circle K, and the Collegiate Exchange Club. She has completed internships with the Jefferson County Health Department, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing, and Warren Averett.

Ms. Davis said she learned about the scholarship opportunity from accounting professor Dr. Christopher Clark. Huntingdon’s Center for Career and Vocation (CCV) helped her prepare for the application process through resume preparation, cover letters, recommendation letters, and other informative seminars.

“Abrianna Davis has had numerous offers for employment and involvement after graduation,” said Dr. Clark, who also serves as vice president for risk management, in-house counsel, and college equity and inclusion officer for Huntingdon. “She is a gifted, natural leader who is strong, energetic, and extremely adept. I consider her one of the top accounting students I have taught, and I know the ASU program will benefit from the drive and knowledge she will bring to the program.”

Ms. Davis has a busy summer ahead. She will graduate May 6, marry her high school sweetheart May 26, and begin the MADA program May 31. The program is one year in length and can be completed online.

Huntingdon College is a coeducational residential liberal arts college of the United Methodist Church offering more than thirty undergraduate programs of study, an Honors Program, Presidential Fellows Program, Kingswood Initiative, choral and instrumental music programs, dance and cheer teams, student organizations including Greek life and Campus Ministries, 21 NCAA-Division III athletic teams, and coed ESports, new for fall 2023. The College also offers the Master of Athletic Training.

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