This story was originally published in Vol. 34, Issue 1 (September 2023)
Founded in 1919 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Beta Alpha Psi is an honor society focused on providing support and opportunities to students and alumni studying finance and accounting. The organization collaborates with accounting firms and professionals to prepare students for the financial industry.
Nu Theta, WSU Vancouver’s chapter, was established in 2014. The current chapter president of Nu Theta is Heather Fitzgerald, a senior majoring in both accounting and finance. Fitzgerald supports chapter members by offering networking opportunities and professional experience within the club.
“We’re not a club full of brainiacs that just know every single thing about accounting… we’re a club with people that want to help,” said Fitzgerald. “You can navigate the accounting or finance major all by yourself, but it’s so much better to have a community and a team to help you through that.”
This fall, the Nu Theta chapter is preparing its members for an event called “Meet the Firms,” where local and regional accounting firms network with students on campus come Sept. 20. During this preparation period, students will take part in an interview workshop to enhance their job market readiness, a resume workshop to refine their profiles, and a networking workshop to connect with professionals in the financial information industry.
Nu Theta’s events are open to all students, regardless of their major or membership status. To become a full member, students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in any financial information major, complete a minimum of four community service hours and four chapter professional hours, and pay a single lifetime fee of $75. Multiple accounting firms collaborating with Beta Alpha Psi sponsor students by covering these fees, according to Fitzgerald.
“Employers are looking for people with soft skills, who are giving to and building their community,” said Fitzgerald. “These are all things that I think really help differentiate you on your resume. I would say that being able to list us on your resume as a member and getting to take part in some of these additional networking events is very beneficial to finding a job when you graduate.”
Nu Theta also offers volunteer opportunities for members interested in community service. Chapter volunteers are providing tutoring sessions for accounting majors annually, supporting student success on campus. In collaboration with WSU Vancouver’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Club and nonprofit organization Ren Locus, Nu Theta will be providing tax assistance to low income families and the elderly in the spring.
The Nu Theta Chapter holds a conference open to all students every Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in VDEN 129, and will be holding their resume workshop on Sept. 6 and their networking workshop on Sept. 13.
“One of the biggest things that Beta Alpha Psi has done for me is to give me this network of people to help me with my classes, to navigate this whole college experience, to navigate what’s coming afterwards… it’s given me this close-knit community that I’m going to carry with me after graduation,” said Fitzgerald.
Norman is a senior majoring in Integrated Strategic Communications and Digital Technology & Culture.