Laughter. Blushing. Tears. Pride. Emotions you might not expect at an accounting event – but at this year’s banquet, they defined it.

The highlight of the night, somber yet deeply rooted in the Rawls College community’s heart, came with the introduction of the Virginia Wynne Naylor Memorial Accounting Scholarship. Wynne Naylor, the vibrant eight-year-old daughter of Lyons School of Accounting and Texas Tech alumni Alli and Cole Naylor, tragically lost her life in the catastrophic flooding that struck central Texas in July. To honor her life and continue her legacy, faculty of the Lyons School of Accounting established this new scholarship earlier this fall.

Wynne was the oldest of three girls – full of personality, curiosity, and joy. She loved adventure and nature – chasing lizards, frogs, and critters of all sizes – fishing, deer and dove hunting, any reason for a party, and most of all Jesus. She thrived on competition, often the teammate everyone wanted: determined, fiercely loyal, and scrappy. Her curiosity and imagination left an unforgettable impact on the lives she touched.

Alli and Cole met as students in the Lyons School of Accounting, and the Naylor family is well known to faculty within the Rawls College and professionals across the DFW accounting community for their involvement, leadership, and steady support of students and alumni. Their loss was felt deeply by classmates, colleagues, mentors, and friends.

Celinda Moore, senior lecturer in the Lyons School of Accounting, says the idea for the scholarship was driven by faculty’s desire to honor Wynne’s spirit and support a family that has long been part of the Rawls community, and ultimately came to fruition in partnership with the Naylor family.

“We were discussing ways we could best honor Wynne and knew the Naylor family had set up the More Like Wynne Foundation,” Moore said. “Since community and education are two of the foundation’s areas of focus, we thought a scholarship would be a great way to incorporate both and ultimately left the decision up to the Naylors.”

Personally, Moore is honored to have played a part in sharing Wynne’s inspiring story and furthering her legacy. As educators, Moore says, helping to establish the scholarship is a way to turn grief into something that creates a lasting impact on students’ lives – an act of care that reflects the closeness of the Lyons community.

Reflecting the values of the accounting program and the Rawls College, the scholarship stands as both a tribute and a promise – one that links Wynne’s memory to the education, aspirations, and futures of students who may follow the same path her parents once walked. Moore says it is her hope that each student who receives the scholarship understands the joy, spirit, and curiosity that Wynne brought to the world.

“I hope the little girl that adventured, danced, hunted, chased lizards, embodied ‘sunshine,’ and lit up a room reminds students to live and love fully every day,” Moore added. “I also hope the Naylor family feels supported by the entire Lyons family as they walk through such unimaginable grief and that this scholarship and its lasting impact gives them one more reason to smile and be proud of everything Wynne accomplished. Her life might have been short, but her impact is significant.”

A Community Growing Stronger Together

This unveiling came during a year of significant 40% growth in undergraduate enrollment and remarkable support for the Lyons School of Accounting. The school awarded more than 320 scholarships totaling over $900,000 – double the previous year. Since last year, endowments increased more than 50% and donor partnerships continued to expand. This year, the Deloitte Foundation funded 10 scholarships at $25,000 each, the PCAOB Scholarship awarded three students $15,000 each, and the Lyons Family Endowment, in addition to the Lyons Family Scholarship, supported 48 awards including the new ACCT 2300/2301 Top Performers Scholarship.

Dean of the Rawls College Margaret L. Williams, Ph.D., emphasized that the school’s success is rooted in intentionality.

“Our enrollment growth is not by accident, luck, or a football team,” Williams said. “It is the result of the tireless work and dedication of our accounting faculty and staff in recruiting high school students and the amazing support of our generous donors, and for that we are thankful.”

This momentum reflects the school’s distinction as one of only 20% of accounting programs nationwide to hold accounting accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (reaffirmed in 2022); its highly ranked Ph.D. (top 50), accounting information systems (13th), tax (10th), and accounting education (3rd) programs; and its 99% job placement for MSA graduates.

The Naylor scholarship arrives at a moment when the school’s commitment to students and to the families who shape its community has never been stronger.

Honoring Distinguished Alumni: Tom Montgomery

The evening also recognized Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Tom Montgomery, a two-time Texas Tech graduate whose career has spanned advanced tax planning, corporate finance, and strategic advisory work. His professional journey is marked by leadership, innovation, and service, echoing the values the accounting program seeks to instill in the next generation.

Opening his remarks, Montgomery admitted he questioned why he was receiving this honor. Accepted to the accounting program during a time when all that was required was a high school diploma and no minimum ACT/SAT score, he found himself in the dean’s office with three Fs on his transcript – one of which he received after skipping a Thursday afternoon stats class to go to Wurstfest with some Chi O sisters – seeking course overload approval to finish 61 hours of a 122-hour program.

“The dean pointed out that it’d taken me five years to complete half of the four-year program and that I’d paid more in add/drop fees than tuition,” Montgomery laughed. “He said he’d give me one more chance, but I wouldn’t get another one if I dropped a class.”

He finished the last 61 hours in one fall semester and two summer sessions.

Montgomery went on, further admitting he used ChatGPT (Chat) to help him with his remarks because he doesn’t have a creative bone in his body or great communication skills. He said Chat suggested that to begin, he should say this is the best night of his life, but he then made everyone blush, and some cheer, when he pointed out Chat got that wrong – the best night was one night his freshman year at the drive in.

All joking aside, Montgomery imparted the things he thinks are most important to remember in life:

• Success has nothing to do with you, but everything to do with what you do for others. Find meaning and purpose by investing in relationships over any other financial aspect and you’ll win in life.
• You’re good enough. The things I thought early on that made me less than others – coming from a poor family, not blessed with nice clothes or good looks, shy and had low confidence – were things holding me back from being authentic. Letting go of how I thought I didn’t measure up to others gave me empathy and confidence.
• Be grateful, humble, and kind.
• Be yourself.

Student Voices Reflect the Power of Support

Student perspectives reinforced the heart of the evening. Scholarship recipient Whitley Hinkle, a freshman from Idalou, Texas, and member of the Scovell Business Leadership Program, shared how scholarship support has impacted her academic experience and well-being.

“The scholarship I received has given me an immeasurable amount of peace because knowing that part of my tuition is covered has eased so much financial anxiety that I can truly focus on my education,” Hinkle said. “I’ll remember this night for years – seeing how many students were provided scholarships made me grateful to be part of a program that cares so deeply about us.”

Jason Kendzior, a graduate student from Round Rock, Texas, provided the banquet’s closing remarks. He spoke of the support, generosity, and dedication of the accounting faculty and staff.

“I was a sheltered and shy kid who, with the help of caring faculty and staff, was able to find his place,” Kendzior said. “It is an honor to be chosen as the student speaker at this year’s banquet, and to have the opportunity to deliver the closing remarks to a room full of people who believe in students like me is an experience I’ll always remember."

Kendzior closed with a nod to the responsibility of students to carry forward the school’s tradition of excellence and to get involved in any way they you can – through student organizations, assistant positions, and/or internships – as these experiences helped him chart his own path. Sentiments that echoed the spirit of the Naylor scholarship and the community it represents.

Honoring Legacy. Supporting Students. Strengthening Community.

To Give

If you would like to join the Lyons School of Accounting in contributing to the Virginia Wynne Naylor Memorial Accounting Scholarship, please email:

Celinda Moore, celinda.moore@ttu.edu

Kirsten Cook, kirsten.cook@ttu.edu