Press Release

April 8, 2019 | By Cole Hatcher

Ohio Wesleyan has selected six students for its competitive 2019-2020 Accounting Fellows program, giving the student access to enhanced internship, research, and other opportunities.

2019-2020 Accounting Fellows

Six Ohio Wesleyan Students Selected for Competitive Woltemade Center Program

DELAWARE, Ohio – The Woltemade Center for Economics, Business and Entrepreneurship at Ohio Wesleyan University has selected six students as 2019-2020 Accounting Fellows. Being selected as fellows gives the students access to enhanced internship, research, and other opportunities.

Ohio Wesleyan’s 2019-2020 Accounting Fellows are:

  • Lidet Belay of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
  • Hannah Bush of Radnor, Ohio
  • Hannah Edelblute of Ostrander, Ohio
  • Molly Jewett of Eagle, Colorado
  • Nana Ama Osei of Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana
  • Jay Welch of Hendersonville, Tennessee

“This competitive program provides academic and professional opportunities for students to develop their accounting and critical-thinking skills beyond the classroom and beyond just numbers,” said Justin P. Breidenbach, associate professor of accounting. “Students participating in this program gain firsthand experience into how they can develop themselves into leaders and communicate financial information effectively to provide value to others.”

Students selected as Accounting Fellows participate in faculty-escorted study trips funded by The Woltemade Center to domestic and international locations that have significance to the study and practice of accounting.

In addition, Accounting Fellows complete at least one accounting internship and research project. The research consists of an independent study or directed reading supervised by an OWU professor and either an outside accountant or finance professional approved by The Woltemade Center. Fellows document their experiences to show how they connect to theories covered in class.

Accounting Fellows also complete an external professional development activity, such as an accounting competition, leadership program or conference, or business tour.

Finally, Accounting Fellows apply for student membership in both the Ohio Society of CPAs and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants to ensure they understand the evolving roles and responsibilities of professional accountants.

“This program has allowed student to make connections between accounting and the world around them based on their passions,” said Breidenbach, MAcc, CPA, CFE. “It has been exciting to see students lean into this program and the opportunities it creates to blend their knowledge and experiences in accounting with other areas of interest including music, art, entrepreneurship, politics, economics, and more.”

Learn more about Ohio Wesleyan’s Woltemade Center at www.owu.edu/woltemade, more about the university’s Department of Economics and Business at www.owu.edu/economics, and more about its accounting major and minor at www.owu.edu/accounting.


Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 90 undergraduate majors and competes in 25 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through Ohio Wesleyan’s signature OWU Connection program, students integrate knowledge across disciplines, build a diverse and global perspective, and apply their knowledge in real-world settings. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” listed on the latest President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, and included in the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “best colleges” lists. Learn more at www.owu.edu.