The fast-paced city of Atlanta, Georgia, was the location of the 37th Annual NABA Southern Region Student Conference, held at the Sheraton Hotel, October 6 and 7, 2016. The over 600 minority business students attending from all over the southern United States included 17 students from Oakwood University. Vern Gohanna, assistant professor of Accounting, and Ellengold Goodridge, director of LEAP, were the sponsors.
The Conference presented our students with several learning and networking opportunities. The first event was the Career Expo, where students could pitch themselves to potential companies, handing in their resumes with hopes of receiving a follow-up email or interview. Out of our 17 students who attended the conference, 10 of them were able to interview with major corporations such as PWC, KPMG, Turner Broadcasting, Grant Thornton, JP Morgan & Chase, and others. Andrew Taylor was also awarded a $1,000 scholarship through NABA, sponsored by Cargill.
There were also many business seminars on different subjects such as graduate school, preparation for the CPA exam, personal branding, and other topics. Oakwood’s business students represented Oakwood in an exemplary fashion in Atlanta, while still competing effectively in the business world.
All the students who attended the conference discovered its value, and are looking to make the trip to the 2017 NABA conference even better through feedback and discussion.
by Andrew Taylor, School of Business student