Business schools teach strategy, spreadsheets, and statistics, but you can’t teach kindness, passion, and a sense of responsibility to give back. That comes from somewhere else. And Costello students have it.
(Left to Right) Mariam Debas, Chengeng Yin, and Khaled Alkurd. Photo by Hannah Patterson/Costello College of Business.
A team of accounting students at the Costello College of Business at George Mason University recently placed second in the TrueUp Innovation Challenge, Race the AI, a national competition designed for accounting students and professionals. The challenge gives participants a hands-on experience using the latest AI tools to complete financial accounting tasks and find out how artificial intelligence is impacting the accounting profession.
Their second-place finish is newsworthy on its own, but what the team chose to do with their prize money, $1,000, is more impressive: donating the entire amount to student scholarships at Costello.
"The team’s commitment to lifting up our students and championing Costello truly reflects the leadership we're so proud to see in our community," says Nadine Bullock-Pottinga, senior director of development.
For the students, Khaled Alkurd, Mariam Debas, and Chengeng Yin, the decision to donate felt natural from the start.
Debas, a dual-major student in accounting and management information systems, interned at PwC in digital assurance and transparency. "I was happy to donate. It felt right to support fellow students and give back to the university that invested in us," she says. “George Mason has opened so many doors for me, so helping another student access those same opportunities felt especially meaningful.”
Yin, a dual degree scholar pursuing accounting and financial management, brought analytical expertise from her internship at Deloitte as a financial analyst. “Donating the prize to support future George Mason accounting students is the perfect way to celebrate," says Yin. "I'm proud to be part of this team and this awesome initiative.”
And Alkurd took it a step further, matching the donation with another $1,000. His decision was personal. As a recipient of the PCAOB Scholars Award, he experienced firsthand how scholarships open doors. “The PCAOB scholarship allowed me to fully engage on campus—taking on leadership roles, working with career services, and preparing for interviews,” says Alkurd. “That investment in my development led to my PwC Deals internship. I wanted to pay it forward because I know what that support made possible.”
“The PCAOB scholarship allowed me to fully engage on campus—taking on leadership roles, working with career services, and preparing for interviews. ...I wanted to pay it forward because I know what that support made possible.”
— Khaled Alkurd, current accounting student at the Costello College of Business
For Alkurd, a bachelor’s to accelerated master’s (BAM) student completing both degrees simultaneously, he's experienced how scholarships create opportunity. Supporting the next generation now—rather than waiting until after graduation—felt like a full-circle moment.
The team’s message for the students receiving scholarships: “Your potential is already there. This just removes one barrier. Make it count—excel academically, lead organizations, and win competitions. Then, before you graduate, find a way to invest in someone else.”
“That's how Costello's impact grows,“ says Alkurd. “Excellence at Costello isn’t about waiting for success; it’s about creating it for others even as you create your own.”
The team's $2,000 donation is now supporting Costello students, turning one team's achievement into opportunity for the next generation.