2016 Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for the Study of Accounting Recipient

Biography: Lily Pham is a fourth-year Business Economics major with a minor in Accounting. Serving her community through Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) at UCLA led her to pursuing a career in tax as a public accountant. She is very passionate about giving back, contributing much of her time and efforts to VITA and different student retention programs within the Vietnamese Student Union. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new places, reading, and designing graphics.

Future Plans: After completing an internship with PwC this past summer, Lily will be joining the firm as a Tax Associate after graduation. Inspired by her experience with VITA and witnessing her parents, both Vietnamese refugees, struggle with filing their taxes, she aspires to equip the Vietnamese community in her hometown of Westminster with financial literacy.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am very humbled and grateful to receive the Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for the Study of Accounting. I am sincerely honored for the recognition of my hard work and accomplishments. Because of this scholarship, I will have less of a financial burden as I focus on my studies to prepare for the CPA exam and pursue my career goals. As Professor Simons inspired his students to think critically and to serve their communities, I strive to follow his example by applying my skills and knowledge to give back to others.