Grambling, LA – Thirteen students and one faculty member from Grambling State University attended this year’s 36th Annual National Association of Black Accountants, Inc. (NABA) Southwest-Western Region Student Conference in Dallas, Texas, from Oct. 15 –17.

“The conference attendees had a wonderful experience,” said Nonso Okpala, an accounting instructor and Grambling’s NABA faculty advisor, and GSU NABA President Nadisha Guavo. “Several accounting firms and companies such as Deloitte, KPMG LLP, PwC, Grant Thornton, Chevron and Dell were at the career expo. Our students interacted and networked with recruiters and employees from these firms. As a result, five students were able to secure interviews.”

In addition to the interviews held during the conference, three students (Abigail Newton, Sarah Wabo and Damillola Tamara Dada) were invited for second interviews with PricewaterhouseCoopers. Newton and Wabo have received offers for full-time employment, and Newton also won a $1,000 scholarship.

“This year’s NABA Southwest-Western region conference was very enlightening,” Newton said.

“I was able to tap out of my comfort zone and reach for the stars. From the first session down to my last interview, I felt like I had this exceptionally professional demeanor which I usually didn’t have. Every experience to build one’s self should be taken advantage of.”

The students also attended various networking, professional and leadership development sessions during the conference. Two Grambling students, Shareika Benjamin and Nadisha Guavo, who previously completed summer internships at accounting firms, had the opportunity to experience the conference through the eyes of a recruiter. They assisted the firms they interned with by recruiting possible candidates for employment and internship opportunities.

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