Sikich Announces 2026 James A. Sikich Visionary Scholarship Recipients

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sikich, a professional services company specializing in consulting, technology and compliance, announced today its 2026 James A. Sikich Visionary Scholarship recipients: Jessica Hu and Jason Mascarenhas.

In partnership with the Illinois CPA Society (ICPAS), Sikich established the James A. Sikich Visionary Scholarship in 2019 to honor the company’s founder, Jim Sikich. As the cost of higher education rises, Sikich is devoted to providing financial assistance to promising accounting students of all backgrounds and to fostering the education and dreams of those who have demonstrated leadership and devotion to their field.

“Investing in future leaders is critical to driving innovation and long-term growth across the professional services industry,” said Sikich Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Christopher Geier. “The dedication, resilience and leadership potential demonstrated by these rising stars reflect our ongoing commitment to fostering the next generation of professionals and empowering them to make a meaningful impact.”

The 2026-2027 academic year scholarship recipients are individuals with a proven determination to pursue a career in accounting and demonstrated leadership qualities:

• Jessica Hu will pursue her Master of Accounting Science degree at the University of Illinois after completing multiple tax internships. She is eager to broaden her experience in audit and assurance through her graduate studies in Financial Reporting & Assurance. In addition to excelling academically, Hu challenged herself by adding a Data Science certificate to her studies, which strengthened her passion for continuous learning and professional growth.
• Jason Mascarenhas is an incoming senior at the University of Illinois majoring in accountancy and data science with a minor in informatics. He hopes to build a career in audit and advisory work focused on nonprofit and mission-driven organizations, combining his passion for analytics with his commitment to strengthening communities through ethical financial practices. While maintaining an outstanding GPA, Mascarenhas has balanced three on-campus jobs, caregiving responsibilities for his grandfather, and leadership work centered around peace and community impact.

In addition to the James A. Sikich Visionary Scholarship, Sikich supports the advancement of the next generation of leaders in professional services through the company’s established internship program, Sikich Scholars. Click here to learn more about Sikich career opportunities.

About Sikich

Sikich offers the public and private sectors a diverse platform of professional services across consulting, technology and compliance. Highly specialized and hands-on teams deliver integrated solutions rooted in deep industry experience. Our approach is strategically and thoughtfully designed to help our clients, teams and communities accelerate success.

Sikich has approximately 2,500 team members and operates across North America, EMEA and APAC.

Sikich practices in an alternative practice structure in accordance with the AICPA Professional Code of Conduct and applicable law, regulations, and professional standards. Sikich CPA LLC is a licensed CPA firm that provides audit and attest services to its clients, and Sikich LLC and its subsidiaries provide tax and business advisory services to its clients. Sikich CPA LLC has a contractual arrangement with Sikich LLC under which Sikich LLC supports Sikich CPA LLC’s performance of its professional services. Sikich LLC and its subsidiaries are not licensed CPA firms.

“Sikich” is the brand name under which Sikich CPA LLC and Sikich LLC provide professional services. The entities under the Sikich brand are independently owned and are not liable for the services provided by any other entity providing services under the Sikich brand. The use of the terms “our company”, “we” and “us” and other similar terms denote the alternative practice structure of Sikich CPA LLC and Sikich LLC.