: Latasha Davis, Matthew Andrews, Jeffery Vernon, Assistant Professor Diann Hammon, Cliff Rybick, Professor Emeritus Linda Hemingway
ATHEN – Members of the Athens State University Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) Student Chapter, also known as the Accounting Club, traveled to Detroit, Michigan in November to be honored at the 17th Annual IMA Student Leadership Conference. The 600 registrants from over 100 colleges and universities from 34 states and some international countries participated in three days of professional educational meetings, networking events, and plant tours.
The Athens State Student Chapter received the Outstanding Student Chapter Award and was also honored with the IMA Gold Award of Excellence. To qualify for the gold award, the chapter had to satisfy many criteria, including preparing newsletters, completing a student manuscript, competing in a national student case competition, preparing a treasurer’s report, holding educational club meetings throughout the year, attending plant tours, participating in community service projects and promotional events, and evaluating performance in all of these areas. The group also gained valuable networking opportunities, toured the General Motors Renaissance Center, and attended seminars about management accounting, becoming a business professional, and improving leadership skills.
The Athens State Student Chapter also entered the t-shirt design competition at the conference. For the third year out of the last four, the Athens State chapter won first place. Since the conference was held in Detroit, their t-shirt design featured various aspects of the city, including the auto industry and sports teams, with the CMA (Certified Management Accountant) designation as the highlight of the design.
“The Athens State Accounting Club student officers devote so much of their time to earning these awards, and they continue to make positive impressions of Athens State University in the minds of regional and global associations. Because of their hard work on the student competitions and fundraising efforts, the prizes they receive will help ensure that next year’s officers can attend the IMA Student Leadership Conference in Houston,” said Professor Emily Corzine, the Accounting Club Faculty Advisor.
Professor Diann Hammon attended the conference with the students. “Our accounting students were enthusiastic and professional as they networked with exhibitors, other students, and professors in attendance. As I watched them navigating the conference, it struck me that I was enjoying a glimpse of their future lives as professionals. These students represented the department and University well at the conference and are true ‘assets’ for Athens State University. I would travel with them anywhere,” said Hammon.
The student officers who attended the conference had a positive experience as well. “I was honored to have met so many interesting people during various events. Getting to hear other officers from different states tell how their clubs operate has inspired me to do more in my efforts to serve the Accounting Club,” said Matthew Andrews, the club’s treasurer.
Latasha Davis, the club’s historian said, “I learned a lot about confidence and the persistence needed to get the job you really want. All the club officers had a great time together. Most of us had never been that far north before and enjoyed our visit to Detroit. The city is rebuilding its infrastructure and bringing in a lot of business opportunities. I enjoyed networking with other students, learning about their clubs and how we may get more students to participate in ours.”
“The best thing about our trip was the opportunity to meet and network with established professionals in the field of management accounting, some of whom were recent graduates themselves and others who had been working for decades. Their advice about launching an accounting career was excellent and will help me to go forth from Athens State and become a valued member of the accounting profession. Another neat aspect of the conference was getting to meet students from Asia and the Middle East due to the CMA being a respected worldwide certification,” said Cliff Rybick, the current club president who will graduate this month.
Media Release/Athens State University/Guy McClure
