Mason Student Clubs Stay Active
During the Fall of 2014, Mason undergraduate student organizations have been very active bringing in engaging speakers, arranging networking opportunities, and connecting students to their passions in business. Here is a sample of what they’ve been up to.
Student Marketing Association welcomed Matt Mattox from The Martin Agency to campus. Matt met with a group of around 30 students and discussed Martin’s major accounts highlighting how agencies and companies can have a back and forth dialogue, in an effort to try new and exciting ideas. Students commented that this was one of the most exciting events of the year as it allowed for deep insights into the advertising realm from both a design and strategic perspective.
The Howard J. Busbee Finance Academy welcomed back over 35 alumni for its flagship event, From DoG Street to Wall Street in September. This two-day event kicked-off with a Keynote Address from W&M alumnus Devin Murphy, the CFO and Principal at Phillips Edison & Company. The next day, over 200 undergraduates took the opportunity to interact with alumni guests through a series of roundtable discussions and panels. Students received exposure to a wide variety of fields, including investment banking, sales and trading, private equity, equity research, and private banking.
In partnership with Net Impact, the Hult Prize at William & Mary is a launch pad for social start-ups. Teams of 3-5 students (of all majors) are challenged to build sustainable social enterprises to improve the early childhood education gap in international urban slums. The winning team can win $1,000,000 in start-up funding.
As part of an event called “Innovation Consulting: Exploring Service,” Natalie Foley '00 came to the Design Thinking Club and shared how she and her firm Peer Insight applied design thinking to design a service for the nation's largest non-profit provider of long-term care services. Additionally, Elizabeth Davidson '11 shared her experience with mobile money services in Tanzania and Kenya, where individuals can send money by sending texts, a relevant and convenient system for developing countries.
The Gibbs Accounting Society hosted its second annual Accounting Edge event. During this one-day, interactive event, students were taught networking techniques and introduced to the diverse range of accounting fields. Personal branding and professional etiquette were also emphasized. Students had chances to chat and connect with professionals and alumni from firms such as KPMG, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Deloitte, and Ernst & Young.
