Three students awarded funds as the scholarship relaunches for the first time since 2019
ORLANDO, Fla. (August 27, 2024) – The Internal Audit Foundation, part of The Institute of Internal Auditors (The IIA), today announced three recipients of the Larry B. Sawyer Student Scholarship: Ziyue Zhen, Onewang Lemao and Trang Church.
The scholarship awards a total of $7,500 to three students who are currently enrolled in or have recently completed undergraduate or graduate-level internal audit courses, as well as $500 to each IIA-IAEP-endorsed school affiliated with the students. This year’s recipients were selected from more than 60 applications submitted to The Internal Audit Foundation’s Committee of Research Education Advisors (CREA). Selection was based on a number of criteria, including video submissions from the applicants exploring their academic journeys in internal audit and their interest in the profession.
“The Internal Audit Foundation is deeply committed to supporting the education and professional ambitions of students pursuing a career in internal audit,” said Warren Stippich, Jr., CIA, CRMA, CPA, President of the Internal Audit Foundation, and National Managing Principal – Advisory Services Quality and Risk at Grant Thornton Advisors LLC. “We are honored to partner with the Sawyer family to relaunch this important program and to provide funding to these students and support their journey into the internal audit profession.”
Ziyue Zhen is currently pursuing a Master’s of Science in Management at Ivey Business School in Ontario, Canada. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Financial Management from the University of Waterloo, and previously worked for BMW China Ltd. and PwC where she gained well-rounded experience in compliance, accounting, and external audit. An IIA North American student member, Ziyue is enrolled in the CIA program and recently passed the CIA Level 1 exam. Her love for travel coupled with her passion for internal audit drives her to view the risk and compliance landscape through different cultural and geographical lenses.
Onewang Lemao is a final-year Commerce student at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Financial Sciences and is currently an IIA South Africa student member. Upon graduating in 2025, Onewang intends to pursue an honors degree in internal auditing, and obtain her CIA certification. Outside of her academic studies, she enjoys drawing and hiking, both of which provide a creative outlet and balance to her busy schedule.
Trang Church is a graduate student at the University of Texas at Dallas where she is majoring in Accounting. A first-generation college student, Trang is an active IIA North American student member and currently serves as a student chapter leader. She is also a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Texas at Dallas and serves as a public relations officer for the UT Dallas IIA/ISACA/ACFE student organization. She plans to pursue her CIA certification upon graduation.
“On behalf of the Sawyer family, congratulations to these exceptional students on being selected for the Larry B. Sawyer scholarship,” said a family representative. “We are pleased to help support rising internal auditors and the efforts of The IIA to build a strong pipeline of talent entering the profession.”
The Larry B. Sawyer Scholarship, formerly the Esther B. Sawyer Award, was established in 2000 by the Internal Audit Foundation in memory of Larry B. Sawyer, CIA, CPA, an attorney, author, and advocate for the internal audit profession. It is one of several programs supported by The Foundation to encourage students to pursue internal auditing as a career path, as well as support for educators instilling broader and deeper understanding of the internal audit profession.
To learn more about the recipients and watch their video submissions, please visit: www.theiia.org/scholarship
About the Internal Audit Foundation
The Internal Audit Foundation, supported by the generosity of its donors, advances the practice of the profession by executing global research to explore issues impacting the profession and funding academic initiatives that support the pursuit and promotion of internal audit education within institutions of higher education.
About The Institute of Internal Auditors and the Internal Audit Profession
Internal auditing is an independent, objective assurance and advisory service designed to add value and improve an organization’s operations. It helps an organization accomplish its objectives by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of governance, risk management, and control processes.
The Institute of Internal Auditors (The IIA) is an international professional association that serves more than 245,000 global members and has awarded more than 200,000 Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) certifications worldwide. Established in 1941, The IIA is recognized throughout the world as the internal audit profession's leader in standards, certifications, education, research, and technical guidance. For more information, visit theiia.org.
Media Contacts
Sarah DuBois
The Institute of Internal Auditors
Sarah.dubois@theiia.org
952-688-2588
"Nothing ever happens until somebody sells something. This is true be it yourself, your organization, or even your audit report.”
- Larry B. Sawyer