After being officially installed just under a year ago, members of Olin’s Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) executive committee attended the Missouri Valley Regional Conference in Omaha, Nebraska, April 1-2. Professor David B. Pearson (Chapter Co-Faculty Advisor), Gina Choi (VP of Professional Events), Lin Lui (VP of External Relations), and Casey Wagenaar (President) represented Olin and were sponsored by the Weston Career Center and the Specialized Masters Programs.

The Regional Conference began with keynote speaker Alexi Wellman, Vice President of Finance at Yahoo! who provided students with insights on the value of taking risks and creating opportunities for oneself. The three students and the faculty advisor had the opportunity to network with 157 students from 17 other colleges and universities and Professional Partners from several accounting and professional services firms.

Additionally, participants had the opportunity to attend a myriad of chapter and professional development sessions.  The chapter development sessions, which were student led, provided insights into how other chapters recruit and retain members, select meaningful service projects, and provide students with valuable professional experiences and meetings. The professional development sessions included a BAP alumni panel, personal branding sessions, ethics and fraud, first audit engagements, and many other opportunities.

Lastly, Gina Choi and Casey Wagenaar participated in Deloitte’s Best Practices Competition presenting on the Alignment of Officer Activities. This was the first regional meeting in which the chapter was eligible to compete, and the chapter looks forward to competing in the future.

Guest Blogger, Casey Wagenaar, MAAC & BSBA’17