SUSA networks in the Big Apple

Robert H. Smith Business School students visited corporations and networked with University of Maryland alumni in the workforce on the annual Smith Undergraduate Student Association (SUSA) New York City trip last weekend.

The official trip was from Thursday Oct. 21 to Friday Oct. 22, but many of the 116 students who attended chose to stay in the city for the rest of the weekend, SUSA Vice President of Events Stephanie Cooperman said.

Students split into accounting, finance, marketing, consulting, and entertainment tracks depending on their interests and professional ambitions. About 20 to 30 students were in each group, according to Cooperman.

On Thursday night, students attended an alumni reception at the Intercontinental Hotel in Times Square. There, they networked with alumni who work in the city while being served hors d'oeuvres, said Ehson Kashfipour, freshman operations management and information systems major andrecently elected SUSA Class of 2014 representative.

"[At the reception, we] learned from the experiences of professionals who were in our position not too long ago," said Kashfipour.

Students found it helpful that the Smith school was a commonality they shared with the over 40 alumni who attended, according to Cooperman.   

"It gave us a great perspective because they were really able to reflect upon their Smith experiences and how they related to their experiences in the workplace," said Manas Kulkarni, sophomore, marketing major.

The reception was a "good combination of professionalism and informality," since some students knew alumni who had graduated a year or two ago, Kulkarni said.

On Friday, each track visited relevant industry companies, such as Anchin, Block, & Anchin, Goldman Sachs, AKQA, Deloitte Consulting, and ABC Family.

Many brought their resumes in hopes of landing a job or internship, and others sought advice said Laura Hamilton, senior finance major and Vice President of Administration for the Finance, Banking and Investment Society.

Students were told that "if you want it badly enough, you can make it happen," said Hamilton.

SUSA, which serves as an umbrella organization for the 24 undergraduate business school clubs, "works towards improving the average student experience in and out of the classroom," with opportunities such as this trip, Kashfipour said.                                                                     

"I plan to participate throughout my years at Smith," Kashifipour said.