University of Nebraska–Lincoln alum Mac Smigielski, ’23, of Wadsworth, Illinois, became one of just 11 Certified Public Accountant candidates nationwide to earn the Elijah Watt Sells Award. The prestigious honor recognizes exceptional performance on the CPA exam administered by the American Institute of CPAs.
“After I took the first two exams and did well, I realized it was possible and was personally motivated to try to achieve the award,” Smigielski said. “It is a testament to my hard work and the time I put in studying. It also motivates me for the future because I know what I am capable of when I work hard and remain focused.”
Presented since 1923, the Elijah Watt Sells Award is named for one of the nation’s first certified public accountants and an early leader in establishing the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. To qualify, candidates must pass all four sections of the CPA exam on their first attempt and achieve a cumulative average score above 95.5.
Lane Knott, ’21 & ’22, a previous Elijah Watt Sells Award recipient from Nebraska, presented the honor to Smigielski at the School of Accountancy’s Celebration of Excellence in Lincoln and emphasized the rarity of the achievement.
“There were 74,000 CPA exam candidates, and only 11 earned the Elijah Watt Sells Award," Knott said. “To put that into perspective for anyone who watched the Huskers beat Cincinnati at Arrowhead Stadium this fall, the official attendance of that game was 72,884. The ratio of Husker players on the field to fans in attendance is about the same as the ratio of candidates who earn the Elijah Watt Sells Award.”
Smigielski becomes the fifth University of Nebraska–Lincoln graduate to earn the award, joining Knott in 2022, Caleb Krohn in 2020, and Douglas Coons and Ashley (Quiring) McDowell in 2018.
“What was important for my exam preparation was studying in groups. It allowed me to see different perspectives on how to approach problems, and help others in areas where I was ahead reinforced my own knowledge,” Smigielski said. “The most important thing was time management. I also used Becker, which was extremely helpful in my exam preparation.”
He emphasized that time management played a significant role in his success, particularly during his CPA exam preparation. He also used Becker’s review materials to prepare of exams and noted that support is key.
“One of my biggest support systems has been my family. My mom is a CPA, and my friends are in the accounting industry, including several who attended the University of Nebraska with me,” he said.
A graduate of Carmel Catholic High School in the Chicago area, Smigielski earned bachelor's degrees in accounting and finance at Nebraska. He completed internships with Spear Financial, Illinois Tool Works and Labenz & Associates before beginning his professional career at Deloitte, where he worked for two years and became a senior auditor. He is now pursuing a law degree at Chicago-Kent College of Law in downtown Chicago.
“I plan on going into transactional law related to financial transactions, where I will still be utilizing my CPA,” Smigielski said. “The College of Business gave me a strong foundation of knowledge and professionalism, along with lifelong friendships and a larger-than-expected network of Nebraska alumni. Go Big Red!”
