GET INVOLVED

Students play new role on Business Alumni Chapter Board of Directors.


Kenneth Rojas
Senior Kenneth Rojas's busy life just got busier. Rojas, who will graduate from the College of Business Administration with a BACC in May, 2006, is president of Beta Alpha Psi, student representative to the business honors society Beta Gamma Sigma, a member of the Honors College, and treasurer for the Honors Council. Now, he is also the first undergraduate representative on the Business Alumni Chapter Board of Directors.

"We had been tossing around the idea of having student representatives on the board for a couple years," said Monique Catoggio (EMBA '03), the College's director of alumni and partner relations. "We recognize the value of working closely with our future alumni, and this is one of a variety of tactics to find out what's important to them and how we can best support them."

Rojas is joined in his ex-officio role by Bill Wilson, the first graduate student. Wilson received his undergraduate degree in finance and MIS in the spring of 2004 and currently is working on his MBA with a concentration in finance. He is a full-time employee of Florida International University, serving as liaison for the Council of 100, working within the Office of Corporate Relations in the Division of University Advancement.


Bill Wilson
"We noticed that both Kenneth and Bill were leaders, and were very active and engaged," Catoggio said. "We felt they would be good advisors to us."

"Our first objective is to represent students so that our interests are kept in mind," Rojas said. "Our second objective is to increase awareness of the chapter among our students. We want to build awareness of the Business Alumni Chapter while students are still in school, showing them how an alumni organization can help them."

"Since I work full-time and am a full-time graduate student, I see a lot of students during the week and can keep them informed," Wilson said. "I also can convey to the other members what the graduate students are thinking about, what their priorities are, and how their class schedules affect their ability to attend events."

He also notes that many graduate students are already alumni, which is a solid foundation on which to build a stronger organization.

"About two-fifths of the graduate students are alumni who have returned after about three to five years and may not have been as involved with the University during that time," he said. "But they once again chose the University because it was convenient and because they enjoyed their undergraduate experiences. This is a great time to get them involved in the Alumni Chapter."

Not only are the two students contributing to the group, but also they are benefiting from the experience.

Rojas most enjoys interacting with the members of the Business Alumni Chapter Board of Directors.

"I've gotten to hear their experiences and seen how they've stood out in the business community," he said.

For Wilson, networking has been a benefit.

"My participation allows me to expand my network with classmates, 80,000 of whom are making their mark within the South Florida community," he said. "These relationships will have an impact on my business relationships, and I've formed great friendships with people who share common experiences."

Wilson and Rojas are working on a mini-reception for students to coincide with both the December and May graduation ceremonies.

"We want to give them a way to connect one last time, showing their families the people and friends who have been so important to them," Wilson said.

Be sure to contact the appropriate representative if you have ideas to share about how the Business Alumni Chapter can serve you better. Undergraduates can reach Rojas at kenneth.rojas@fiu.edu. Graduate students should contact Wilson at wwilson01@fiu.edu.