Students forming Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting

A group of students in Poole College of Management are taking steps to form a student chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA).

Avi Gomez, a senior in international studies and president of ALPFA at NC State, said there is a growing need for greater involvement of Latino students in the community. “We can help fulfill that with the knowledge and skills that we have as college students,” she said.

A group of students interested in the organization met at Poole College on April 2 to continue in the process of organizing ALPFA at NC State; a total of 19 students attended the meeting. Attendees were invited to participate in a social at Pelican’s to get to know the executive board, as well as provide the students a chance to interact and get to know each other.

The organization is currently applying nationally for a national chapter as well as making preparations for next school year. They are deciding on where the organization will hold its meetings and which events will be held.

The organization’s focus is to enhance opportunities for Latinos and to build leadership and career skills. Membership is open to students of any major.

"The inaugural members of ALPFA will have a significant role in establishing how others come to see the value of membership, helping to move the organization forward, and increasing awareness of the value that minorities bring to the corporate world and the professional workforce," Gomez said.

To help AlPFA members gain professional skills while also celebrating culture, the organization plans to hold events in a business professional environment. Possible events include:

• Professional Dress Workshop
• Resume Building
• Interviewing Skills
• Career Fair Preparation
• Discrimination in the Workplace
• Latino Graduate Students

Established in 1972, ALPFA is the largest Latino association for business professionals and students, with over 23,000 members in more than 100 student chapters at colleges and universities across the United States and Puerto Rico, and more than 40 professional chapters, including a chapter in Charlotte, N.C.