Finding Community

C. T. Bauer College of Business students celebrated the end of another successful school year in fashion at the annual Bauer Student Organization Awards.

Hosted by the college’s HUB for Student Success, the awards recognized outstanding engagement, service, pride and spirit. Associate Director for Student Engagement Jorge Arellano works closely with student organizations affiliated with Bauer throughout the course of the year and shared that the event is just one way the college thanks students for their dedicated involvement.

“This event recognizes all the hard work that the Bauer organizations do and is the cherry on top to the end of the year,” Arellano said. “We have a lot of graduating seniors who have engaged with us during their undergraduate careers, so this is hopefully a memorable event that we put on for them.”

Seated alongside their peers and friends, students spent the evening reflecting on what the impact their organization made on them.

Accounting sophomore Lexi Chaparro joined the Hispanic Business Student Association (HBSA) during the fall of her freshman year. She currently serves as the organization president.

She said the group helped her find her sense of community.

“I came for professional development opportunities because I was eager for an internship,” Chaparro said. “I stayed for the familia aspect that we build in HBSA.”

Management junior Aidan Stokes attended the event with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

Stokes said he was too apprehensive to get involved with organizations during his first year but found SHRM as a sophomore. The group helped him build friendships and leadership skills. He plans to stay involved with SHRM during the next school year.

“Putting SHRM on my résumé puts me ahead of a lot of other candidates out in the pool, so it’s built the foundation of me building my career in HR,” Stokes said. “I wouldn't be where I am without it.”

Standing together as one collective were members of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA). At the event, they celebrated the individual and organizational growth that they experienced during the school year.

“I've seen the impact NABA has made on others,” Samia Winfield said. “We made sure members got internships and saw professional development. It just shows that we are one big family.”

“Being part of NABA gives me a community where I'm not the only Black business student,” Xavier Walker said. “I'm not the only one who's like trying to figure out how to make it as a college student.”

“Joining this organization has been a very personal journey for me,” Montrey Guidry said. “It has helped me build relationships and gave me a good network of Black professionals that I can continue to grow with as I go into my career.”

“This organization has been a culmination of my own personal dreams, goals and prayers,” Yoana Kigigha said. “Coming in as a freshman, a lot of people have poured into me, and all I wanted to do since then was pour back into others the same way.”

Finance Association members Brandon White and Nguyen Lam shared that by joining the organization, they learned more about themselves personally and professionally.

“When I got to Bauer, I wasn't sure where I wanted to go within finance, but the Finance Association has helped me branch out and understand the area within the major that I want to focus on,” White said. “I also met a lot of connections and grew my technical and soft skills.”

“Staying around after class is a lot of dedication, but I gained so much that way,” Lam said. “I learned to be stronger, to be a team player and to bond with my friends.”