Survival of the fittest continues as the driving force among ambitious professionals in Corporate America. Minorities struggle to attain the same levels of achievement as there counterparts, working twice as hard for half the success.
Students need to take advantage of programs and added skills that will give them the “cutting edge” against their majority competitors. One organization on campus seeks to give students that advantage, The FAMU Collegiate Chapter of National Association of Black Accountants.
Professional events allow students to discuss current issues, experience corporate cultures and make more informed decisions regarding which career path is best suited for them. NABA offers countless opportunities to build business relationships with key recruiters and executives with companies such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG and Deloitte & Touche.
This year the organization has hosted representatives of PricewaterhouseCoopers and RSM McGladrey.
“Coming to the NABA event in September helped me network with professionals from one of the top accounting firms in the country and yielded an opportunity for an internship,” said LaSheena Vaughn, a third year business student from Savannah, GA.
NABA has established a strong relationship with recruiters, which serve as a huge benefit in the constant competition for internships and residencies.
Oscar Turner, a graduating business student from Dallas, explained, “Companies regularly attend NABA events and meetings which give their members a competitive advantage over other business students.”
The organization is focused on doubling their active membership this year to extend their reputation on a national level. NABA will host a week from Oct. 25 to Oct. 28, which will focus on the benefits of membership and a career in the accounting profession.
The group will host the State of the Black Accountant Summit, outlying the issues facing minority CPAs, featuring a panel of professors and business leaders. The summit will be on October 27 at 6 p.m. and held in room G12 located in the North Wing of SBI.
But the organization is not all about the “bottom Line,” members inform students with less formal events like the kickball game on Oct. 26 against the Future Business Leaders of America at 6:30 p.m. on the softball field.
Since 1969, the National Association of Black Accountants has been instrumental in increasing the presence, advancement and influence of minority professionals in the finance fields.
As one of the organizations first collegiate chapters, FAMU’s chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants continues to actively pursue these goals.
Contact Charlene Polite at famuanbusiness@yahoo.com