I think one of the biggest strengths of the accounting program is the professors. I know that’s one of the main reasons I decided I loved accounting and chose it as my major. So far, all of my professors have said, "Come in. We want to help you and make sure you understand the material." The professors really want to know you as a student and they really respect your opinions. In the evenings, the department has a lab available where graduate students will answer your questions or help you with exercises or studying. Any questions you have, they have people there to help you with that

I’m looking for a career with an international accounting firm … or a firm that wants to expand more internationally. I’ve been looking at some accounting firms for my senior internship and I’ve found that tons of them are international — like PricewaterhouseCoopers, I believe, is in 149 different countries

I hope to study abroad next spring in Alicante, Spain. I think everyone who can should take advantage of an opportunity to study abroad. We have an exchange program with the University of Alicante over there and they have international business classes that are actually taught in English. So you can take Spanish classes over there while still working on your major or minor

I love Walker College’s Academic Advising Center. My advisor has even come in on days she wasn’t scheduled to work just so she could work with me and make sure my schedule is right. I know that advisors at some schools won’t do that. The advisors here will go the extra mile to make sure your experience here is as successful and as stress-free has possible

I have 2 scholarships right now — a general academic scholarship and a Walker College of Business scholarship. I think there’re so many scholarships out there — but you need to apply for them. There are so many people that have given money so that you can be educated. It’s just a matter of taking the time out from your day and doing it. For Walker College of Business scholarships, there’s a form online. It’s actually very easy … really simple

I am president of AIESEC Appalachian State. It’s a French acronym — they’ve kept the acronym but it doesn’t really reference an expanded name anymore. Basically AIESEC promotes international understanding and cooperation. Our main focus is to accomplish this through providing international internships. We have chapters in over 95 different countries and we offer both developmental and technical internships

One of our big programs right now is called Salam … which means "peace" in Arabic. The goal is to promote cooperative international relations in the Middle East and an understanding of the different cultures. We have opened chapters in Afghanistan, Bahrain and Qatar. AIESEC helps integrate you into the culture and make sure that, while you’re getting this great internship, you learn about the culture as well

AISEC is a university-wide club and we encourage others to join. We put on campus events that promote cultural understanding. Although, more than half the club members here are business majors, any Appalachian student can join … regardless of major

There are a lot of different clubs on campus and it is easy to find a club that fits your needs. You just have to take the time to do it. I think a lot of students don’t take advantage of that early enough. You know, they get to their senior year and they realize they haven’t been involved with anything outside of the classroom. They’ve missed all kinds of opportunities to network and develop connections. The networking opportunities at Walker College are great. You can get an education at any college but having the right connections and experiences to really build on that education is just as important

There are club expos every year. There’s one in the college of business as well as in the student union. So you can go around and find out about a club’s mission, what it’s about, when its meetings are, etc. And I think that’s a good way to go — just kind of do some research. Also almost every club has a website.

I would strongly encourage high school students to choose Appalachian and Walker College because of the small class sizes and the opportunities to become involved in campus activities on top of getting your business degree. Another plus is the fact that you can choose a specific major instead of just majoring in business. You can really focus your attention on one subject

For students already enrolled in the college of business, I would recommend getting involved in extracurricular activities early. I think a lot of people don’t take advantage of their opportunities. You’re only here for 4 years, so avoid wasting your time and take advantage of every opportunity that you can.