NABA chapter hosts Texas NABA Day

The event included icebreakers like bingo and a speed networking session designed to allow attendees to meet other members and get to know them more personally. Jessica Martinez-Williams, a senior accountant major and vice president of Texas State's NABA chapter, said these NABA events are instrumental in developing communication skills, a soft skill she said recruiters fear is often underdeveloped.

"I think it gives us the opportunities to learn how to shake a hand or how to have a personal conversation and I think something we always forget about, like the soft skills," Martinez-Williams said. "That's something that the recruiters always talk to us about is how impressed they are with NABA members about just the ability to hold a conversation."

Xavier Oliphant, former Texas State NABA president and a graduate student in accounting at McCoy College, said the event offered students invaluable networking opportunities.

"I think one of the biggest aspects of being a professional is networking," Oliphant said. "NABA providing a venue for everyone to come and have those employers and professionals meet them in a spot where they don't necessarily have to go out and find it, it's such a big thing."

The event's morning sessions included keynote speaker Okorie Ramsey, vice president at Kaiser Permanente, and an information session with Shicoyia Morgan of Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants who shared insights on the organization's resources and how they can assist attendees in preparing for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam.

After lunch, Guylaine Saint Juste, NABA's national chapter president and CEO, made a surprise appearance, flying in to attend the event.

"The caliber of speakers that they were able to get, that was huge," said Alexandra Hampshire, associate professor of instruction in accounting at McCoy College and the chapter's faculty advisor. "The fact that they even got these speakers to come out and then allow the students to talk to them and learn from them and work with them [was] just an incredible professional opportunity for them."

Jackson said she was surprised that Saint Juste took time from her vacation to attend the event and renewed her enthusiasm for the organization.

"I truly love NABA as an organization, but it made me fall in love with NABA all over again," Jackson said. "It just felt refreshing that someone cares about us that much, where they would take the time out of their day and on a weekend to come talk to us."

Following Saint Juste's session, a panel of speakers made up of industry experts, including Calvin Harris Jr., New York State Society of CPAs; Crystal Cooke, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants; Okorie Ramsey; and Ken Bouyer, Ernst & Young. The speakers shared their experiences building careers in accounting, offering guidance and real-world advice on overcoming challenges and achieving long-term success in a continuously evolving field. The range of professions within the panel also highlighted the extensive opportunities for students pursuing a career in accounting.

“I think students just felt more inspired and uplifted by hearing the speakers,” Jackson said. “Not all of the speakers worked in public accounting. Seeing the different opportunities that are available for accountants, I feel [attendees] were inspired.” 

She noted that one of the most significant takeaways for attendees was seeing representation within the accounting profession.

"I think [students] took away a sense of empowerment," Jackson said. "As a minority student, especially in the field of accounting, which is mainly white male-dominated, it's so rare you see people like us in accounting."

Hampshire expressed hope that NABA members will build on this year's success by engaging more schools and expanding the event's reach regionally.

"I would want to see it grow to more schools," she said. "I hope that more students from other area schools want to attend. Maybe this is something that other regions decide they want to do when they hear about our success."

Reflecting on the challenges of organizing the event, Jackson, who will be graduating in May, said she took extra steps like creating a contact list and setting up NABA's first sponsorship program to ensure next year's leadership is prepared to organize the event and will have the funding they need once she's graduated.

"I had to message people and hunt for their emails on LinkedIn," she said. "They won't have to do that. They'll be able to build up and make the next event even more successful because I was strategic and structured." ✯