Introducing the Poole Student Advisory Board

By Jess Clarke

Who can provide some of the best input about strategic decisions that guide the Poole College of Management’s future? 

Poole’s key stakeholders — the students. 

That’s why Dean Frank Buckless and Associate Dean for Academic Programs Vikas Anand formed the new Poole College Student Advisory Board this semester. The board’s 15 undergraduates will give feedback on how Poole moves forward with initiatives to remain vibrant and competitive in the changing higher education landscape.    

“We felt it was important to also work with our alumni of the future, students who are here now who can become in some ways part of the thinking about what we should do for the future of Poole College.”

Poole administrators already meet regularly with advisory boards of alumni and others who are business leaders. “We felt it was important to also work with our alumni of the future, students who are here now who can become in some ways part of the thinking about what we should do for the future of Poole College,” Anand says. 

He and Buckless met with a small group of undergraduates last fall to discuss possible additional opportunities for first-year students and new programming ideas. “They gave us such good ideas, we realized we need to have students involved on an ongoing basis,” Anand says. “The students were amazing. We were so impressed.” 

That meeting led to the permanent student advisory board.

Administrators will ask students for input on pressing challenges to ensure Poole continues to deliver a first-rate business education that meets students’ and employers’ needs. “We want to make students part of the solution for many of the future strategic challenges,” Anand says. 

“We want to make students part of the solution for many of the future strategic challenges.”

The board’s recent first meeting centered on two issues: increasing student engagement in and out of the classroom and strengthening the administration’s communication with students. 

“Communication needs to be more direct. We have a lot of different newsletters and things on the website. Information needs to be consolidated and streamlined, so all students see it…and to make sure everyone is interested in and excited about what is going on in the college,” says former advisory board co-president Brooke Kappeler ’23, who is studying business administration. 

The board’s main mission is to help administrators enhance the student experience through immersive real-world opportunities such as more practicums and internships, regular mentoring and other career-preparation initiatives. Those measures will help students succeed — at Poole and in their careers.      

“The overall goal of the board is to support…an innovative curriculum and strategies that create impact for undergraduate students,” says board co-president Brandon Morton ’23, who is studying accounting. “It’s not like a student complaint session. The deans are thinking of ways to evolve the school…and how to improve and update things where they see fit.” 

Ongoing student feedback is essential because of generational differences in perspectives. “We want to have a better sense of how they look at the world,” Anand says.

The board’s diversity will generate a range of opinions for administrators to consider.  

“Things can be approached very differently among a group of students,” says Kappeler, from Columbus, Ohio. “With every student having their own experiences within the college, there could be some very creative ideas and suggestions brought to the meetings, so I think it could be really cool.”

“With every student having their own experiences within the college, there could be some very creative ideas and suggestions brought to the meetings, so I think it could be really cool.“

Membership on the advisory board will provide students leadership opportunities that could help them as they start their careers.     

“They are giving a lot of their time to us,” Anand says. “We want to make sure students get something from us in return,” such as mentoring and networking opportunities.

Administrators plan to form a similar advisory board for Poole graduate students soon.

On the undergraduate level, the board could have a significant influence on the experiences of current and future Poole students. 

“The most successful board would be one that represents the entirety of the Poole College of Management…so every student has a say in what the college will be doing at a higher level,” says Morton, of Cary, North Carolina. “I hope it will have an impact before I graduate and also years down the road.”

Meet the Students

Lilly Roth, senior, business administration
Student Advisory Board President

Lilly Roth is a senior majoring in business administration with a concentration in finance. Roth has been a summer analyst with JPMorgan Chase & Co., a year-round intern with SAS and a volunteer for Ronald McDonald House Charities. Outside of the classroom, Roth enjoys attending NC State athletic events and walking her dog, named Raleigh after her hometown. Upon her graduation in May, Roth will be moving to Tampa, Florida to work as a Corporate Analyst with JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Yahir Sanchez-Vazquez, freshman, business administration
Student Advisory Board Vice President

Winston Salem native, Yahir Sanchez-Vazquez is a first year student majoring in business administration with a concentration in information technology. Outside of his role as vice president of the PSAB, Yahir is also vice president of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA). His work experience includes serving as Assistant Business Administrator for CHHE Office at NC State University.

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Adams Neus, junior, business administration 

Adams Neus is currently a junior from Charlotte majoring in business administration with a concentration in finance with a minor in Spanish. He is the alumni secretary for his fraternity Phi Delta Theta and a member of the Finance Club. He held an internship at OneDigital as an investment analyst last summer and is currently in the internship application process for this upcoming summer. He enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing sports, and spending time outside. 

Caleb Bowens, senior, business administration 

Caleb Bowens is a senior studying business administration with a concentration in information technology (IT). Bowens serves on the executive board for the Black Business Student Association (BBSA) as vice president of community and member engagement. He is also a member of the IT Club in Poole. As for internships, Bowens works as an administrative assistant in the Office of Undergraduate Programs and as a student computer consultant at the IT Help Desk in Poole. Last summer, Bowens worked as a student intern in the Dean Suite as an administrative assistant as well. Outside of the classroom, he likes to watch movies and play different sports. He is currently on the job search looking for opportunities post-graduation but plans to get his Cisco certification as well as other certifications as he continues his job search.

Davis Hamilton, senior, business administration

Charlotte native Davis Hamilton is a senior graduating this spring. Hamilton is currently working for SAS as a technical support Intern and will continue at SAS in a new role as a technical consultant upon his graduation. He is a business administration major with an IT concentration as well as a member of the Business Analytics Honors Program. He is also involved in a few other organizations such as the Scholarship Chair of Phi Delta Theta and Poole Ambassadors.

Dorienne Young, junior, business administration

Originally from Bronx, New York, Dorienne Young was raised in Murfreesboro, NC. Young is a second-year junior and Pack Promise Scholar majoring in business administration with a concentration in IT. He currently serves as PSAB’s director of information and the vice president of NC State’s National Association of Black Accountants chapter. In total, he has two years of internship experience as an IT consultant and business analyst at NC State. Along with this, he has been given the opportunity to work with Nintendo of America this upcoming summer. His hobbies include gaming (mainly console), drawing and learning about miscellaneous topics.

Hannah Justice, freshman, accounting

Hannah Justice is an accounting major with a minor in psychology from Nashville, TN. Outside of class, she enjoys archery, bouldering and writing the occasional story or two.

Ilona Gromatzky, senior, business administration; fashion and textile management

Ilona Gromatzky is a senior graduating in the Spring of 2023. She is double majoring in fashion and textile management with a concentration in product production and business administration with a concentration in marketing. Ilona is a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and has served in many different positions and roles in her sorority. Outside of her role on the Poole Student Advisory Board, she also serves on Tompkins Textile Student Council as a student liaison. Ilona has studied abroad twice over the summer in Reutlingen, Germany on the accounting and finance trip and Reims, France on the international marketing trip. She is currently planning to continue her education at NC State at Wilson College of Textiles attending graduate school for a master’s degree in textiles. 

Julianna Lopez, junior, accounting

Julianna Lopez is a junior majoring in accounting with a concentration in analytics and a minor in philosophy from New Bern, North Carolina. At NC State, she serves as the Vice President of Beta Alpha Psi, an accounting honors fraternity. She is also a member of the University Honors Program, as well as the Student Media Board of Directors where she dually sits as Vice Chairman and the Poole College Student Ambassador. She works as the Student Philanthropy intern for Poole College’s Development Office and is thrilled to begin her upcoming internship with the Government Accountability Office as a Financial Audit intern this summer. Outside of the classroom, she is usually spending time with her toy poodle, Trixie, and loves heading down to the beach (Emerald Isle is her personal favorite). After graduation, she hopes to attend NC State’s Jenkins MAC Program to eventually sit for the CPA exam to obtain her license. She loves all things NC State and looks forward to investing in Poole College during upcoming semesters with the Student Advisory Board.

Lilli Salvador, senior, business administration

Lilli Salvador is a senior from Charlotte, NC majoring in business administration with a finance concentration. Outside of PSAB, Lilli is an active member of the NC State community with involvement in the University Honors Program, Finance Club and the Business Analytics Honors Program. During her undergraduate career, she was an intern at J.P. Morgan and is now an intern at SAS. Following graduation, Lilli will be joining Regions Bank as a full-time Investment Banking Analyst.

Landon Hong, sophomore, business administration

Landon Hong is a sophomore from Marietta, GA majoring in business administration with a concentration in entrepreneurship. Outside of his role in PSAB, Landon is a practice player for NC State Women’s Basketball and a member of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. He enjoys fishing, basketball, and video editing in his free time.

Becca Chemmanam, senior, business administration

Becca Chemmanam is a business administration major from Greenville, NC with a concentration in information technology and a minor in statistics. Outside of her role in the PSAB, Becca is heavily involved at NC State. She is a member of Alpha Delta Pi, Consult Your Community, You Can Vote and Musical Empowerment. She also has several work experiences that have contributed to her professional development such as working on Capitol Hill for a US Congressman, interning at EY in their Technology Risk Consulting practice, and working for the Pitt County District Attorney. Outside of school and work, Becca enjoys traveling, reading, spending time with family and friends and shopping. After graduation, she plans to attend the Institute for Advanced Analytics to get a Master of Science in analytics at NC State.

Tara Dorsett, senior, business administration

Tara Dorsett is a senior from Raleigh, NC majoring in business administration with a concentration in marketing. During her undergraduate career, she worked at IAT Insurance Group as a Social Media Intern. Outside of the classroom, Tara likes pickleball, baking, playing games, shopping and hanging with friends. After graduation, she will be working at The Link Group, a marketing research consultancy, as an associate project manager.

Zach Abramczyk, senior, business administration

Zach Abramczyk is a Poole senior from Apex, North Carolina, majoring in business administration with a concentration in finance and a history minor. Along with being a dedicated student, Abramczyk is a Senior Director of Bell Tower Capital Management, NC State’s student-managed investment fund. Abramczyk is a former Finance Club vice president and currently a Poole Ambassador. Previously, he worked as an investment intern with NC State’s Office of Investments and, most recently, as an Investment Banking Summer Analyst at Regions Bank. Following graduation, Abramczyk will return to Regions’ Corporate Investment Bank as an Analyst in the Asset Securitization Group out of Atlanta.

Zachary Criddle, junior, business administration

Zachary Criddle is a junior studying business administration with a finance concentration at Poole College. Criddle was born and raised in Raleigh, but his family is from New York. Criddle has played lacrosse and football his whole life and has numerous hobbies and interests including hunting, golfing, guitar, piano, cars, music and watches. On campus, Criddle is a leader in the Finance Club, co-founder of the Investment Banking Club and a member of the Investors Association, Italian Club and NC State Lacrosse Club.