Oregon Society of CPAs

When I was a college student in my earlier years, I did not get involved in any clubs or campus activities outside of the classroom. I realize now I had missed out on one of the greatest gifts universities have to offer – student groups.  Over the passing years, I’ve discovered just how rewarding clubs, groups and other organized activities can be. Not only do they foster personal growth, they have the potential to increase your professional network exponentially.

During my first semester back at PSU, I stumbled upon Beta Alpha Psi. I was a little hesitant at first because their name reminded me of the jock fraternity in the movie Revenge of the Nerds, the Alpha Betas. The similarity in the name conjured up scary images of preppies, torturous hazing, initiation rituals and fraternity kegger parties. Fortunately for me, the similarity was in name alone, as during my first Beta Alpha Psi (BAP) meeting, I was pleasantly surprised to find that BAP was nothing like the fictitious nerd-hating Alpha Betas. The officers and participants were all friendly, professional and well organized; the type of group I was in search of.

After a couple of meetings, I began to realize the incredibly valuable contribution Beta Alpha Psi has to offer accounting students. Prior to my involvement with BAP, I was totally naïve about the recruiting process. I was completely clueless about the “Big Four,” entirely unaware of the existence of recruiting season, and had no idea I would be faced with the big existential question…“audit or tax?”

Over the last year, my dedication to Beta Alpha Psi has grown. I have attended numerous panel discussions and several workshops, which provided students the opportunity to interact with professionals working within the accounting services industry. Then in May, I was honored to become an officer for PSU’s BAP chapter, serving as Vice President of Events. In the two-plus months I’ve held this position, I have found it fun, challenging and incredibly rewarding. To top it off, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and working with a diverse mixture of accounting students and professionals.

If you would like to discover Portland State University’s Beta Alpha Psi, please visit their website or become their friend on Facebook!

Filed under: Accounting Degree, Job Search, Public Accounting Tagged: | Portland State University