RSM US Foundation Awards $50K in First Generation Scholarships

CHICAGO – (May 6, 2021) – RSM US LLP (“RSM”) – the nation’s leading provider of audit, tax and consulting services focused on the middle market – is pleased to announce that the RSM US Foundation has selected five students to receive its First Generation scholarships. Through the First Generation program, these five students will receive $10,000 scholarships each per academic year for up to three years, for a total of up to $30,000 per student (or $150,000 total) over the course of the pursuit of their undergraduate degrees.

“It is a true honor to announce the recipients of RSM’s First Generation scholarships,” said Doug Opheim, chief financial officer with RSM US LLP and chair of the RSM US Foundation. “Being the first in your family to pursue a college education is exciting, but can also be a bit daunting when you don’t have family members to coach you through the college experience. Our hope is that through these First Gen scholarships, we’re able to help these students in their journeys to becoming tomorrow’s middle market leaders.”

This year’s First Generation scholarship recipients are:

Notes:
-You can learn more about the winners here.
-The First Gen scholarship program is open to U.S. citizens, permanent U.S. residents (holders of a Permanent Resident card) or individuals granted deferred action status under the Deferred action for Childhood arrivals program (DACA) who are at least 18 years old. Learn more here.

Sergio de la Fe, national industry leader for industrials for RSM, and former chair of RSM US LLP’s board of directors – who himself is also a first generation college graduate – is a staunch supporter of the First Gen scholarship program, and one of the program’s biggest supporters.

“I understand the unique pressures that come with being a first generation student, such as working your way through college, having time pressures and challenges related to meeting your goals,” said de la Fe. “We hope this program eliminates some of the pressures first generational students face throughout their college careers.” 

Through First Generation and other scholarships, RSM and the RSM US Foundation provide $190,000 in scholarships each year. In addition to scholarships, RSM and the RSM US Foundation support communities across the country and in Canada where its people live and work through:

• Volunteer Week – Established in 2010, RSM US Volunteer Week demonstrates our commitment to giving our time in the communities where our people live and work. In 2020, in spite of a stay-at-home order due to the pandemic, nearly 2,000 of our people and their family members participated in more than 60 volunteer activities across the country and in Canada to give back to their local communities. More than 80 charities benefitted from back-to-school backpacks and personal hygiene kits assembled for children, grocery drives for food banks, the making of cards and masks for frontline workers and many other activities.
• Birdies Fore Love – RSM partners with the Davis Love Foundation – host organization for The RSM Classic, a PGA TOUR event – on Birdies Fore Love. Through this program, each RSM office selects a local charity that supports youth in the areas of hunger, housing or health. Each charity benefits from the funds raised locally by employee’s clients, family and friends. With a generous match from the RSM US Foundation, we were  able to give more than $4.6 million to deserving charities in 2020.

To learn more about RSM’s philanthropic initiatives and the RSM US Foundation, visit RSM’s website.