News Stories

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) Scholars Program awards scholarships for outstanding students enrolled in undergraduate or graduate accounting degree programs. 

Congratulations to Fiona Holdaway, Accounting class ’26, and Morris Su, Accounting class ’26, who have been awarded the PCAOB Scholars Program scholarship for $15,000 for the 2025-2026 academic year.  The committees were extremely impressed by their academic excellence and desire to serve the community.

Fiona’s leadership experiences at SCU include being the President of Alpha Kappa Psi (AKPsi), Peer Advising, being the Treasurer for SCUAA, a math tutor, and being a member of the Accelerated Cooperative (ACE) Leadership program. One of the best accomplishments that has come from all of these leadership positions has been the ability to make a positive impact on students and being able to emphasize diversity in all aspects of her life. Previously as the AKPsi Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Co-Chair, she was able to host professional events catered towards historically marginalized and underrepresented communities. They created a professional clothing donation drive that allowed students who were rushing to use their professional clothing if they were unable to buy their own. This had a huge impact on rushee’s confidence and how well they did in their interviews, and this clothing bank was used by over 10 rushees last year.

Fiona believes that she will be able to add a diverse perspective to the accounting conversation because she came from a low-income and first-generation background.  She strives to promote  the quality of decisions and better understand why people are the way they are, and how to advise people and companies on risk protection.

As President of the Santa Clara Boxing Team, Morris Su has learned the importance of collaboration and accountability.  He has worked closely with board members, coaches, and club sports staff to keep things running smoothly. However, leadership also means taking responsibility when things go wrong.

As an officer for the Santa Clara University Accounting Association (SCUAA), Morris has seen the impact of integrity and professionalism.  He has worked with firm recruiters and the Accounting Department to organize career fairs and networking events, helping students connect with recruiters and secure opportunities. In Morris’s words, “More importantly, I emphasized honesty in the recruitment process, encouraging students to uphold commitments and not accept offers they don't intend to keep.” Maintaining high ethical standards in his role aligns with the PCAOB’s mission to ensure transparency and trust in financial reporting.

Being a first-generation college student has come with challenges.  Without the same resources as many others, he has had to navigate networking, internships, and academics on his own.  He has proven that hard work can overcome disadvantages.

Morris wants to be an auditor: to hold companies accountable and make sure investors get the truth. He looks forward to a career where he can uphold these principles and make a real impact.