Bauer Student Org Recognized as One of the Best in the Nation
HBSA Earns Top Chapter Award, Takes Second Place in Case Competition
Published on September 19, 2017
The Hispanic Business Student Association (HBSA) at the C. T. Bauer College of Business was recognized as a top student chapter at the national Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) convention.
The Hispanic Business Student Association at the C. T. Bauer College of Business was recently recognized as one of the top student chapters in the nation.
The student organization earned the honor at the national Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) convention, which hosted groups from dozens of universities from around the country last August in Las Vegas.
Bauer College student Alejandra Requena, who served as HBSA president this spring, helped lead the effort to take 40 members from the organization to the event, where the group was recognized as the top chapter in their region and one of the top four in the nation.
“I think what sets us apart is that we really care about our members and our members care about each other,” Requena said.
She added: “Not only have we provided preparation for our members throughout the semester on how to build résumés, network and develop leadership skills, but we also have members who genuinely want to help each other. For example, older members of HBSA who work for good companies would introduce current members to recruiters, so I think we were chosen because ALPFA saw that passion in our organization.”
Professional partnerships have also been important, Requena said.
“Our liaison with ALPFA, Stephanie Baca, helped us set up events and keep that communication going throughout the last semester,” she added. “I think ALPFA saw that not only are we passionate about our members, but we also worked to build those personal relationships.”
Four HBSA members also competed in a case competition sponsored by KPMG during the convention. Accounting students Milwar Alvarado, Jesus Juarez and Jennifer Velasquez and finance student Paulo Avila were selected by ALPFA to compete in the case study. Clinical Professor Michael Newman advised the team prior to their presentation. The students placed second overall, besting over 23 other university teams.
Throughout the convention, HBSA members were also able to network with professionals from major companies. Several students received full-time offers from organizations such as Deloitte, Goldman Sachs and Wal-Mart.
Current HBSA president Jesus Juarez says the organization returns to the convention every year because of the opportunities available for members.
“This year we were able to take 40 people, the most ever, to convention and we had to fundraise all of it — from airplane tickets to hotels to the actual convention fee. We worked hard throughout the summer to get sponsors and fundraise, but when you get to the convention, it pays off. Many of our members are recruited every year by major companies.”