Latino Association of Business Students Hosts Deloitte

The Latino Association of Business Students (LABS) at UIC Business recently hosted representatives from Deloitte. After the event, LABS member Daisy Espinoza and LABS VP Leticia Esparza took a moment to share their LABS experience with the Business blog.

What were your paths to LABS at UIC Business?

DE: I’m from the Chicago area. At my previous college, I wasn’t focused on business. But someone there introduced me to the campus accounting club, and it sparked an interest. From that point on, my plan was to go into public accounting, which means graduating on a timeline that ends with the CPA exam. So I transferred to UIC Business and discovered LABS during an activity fair.

LE: I’m also from the Chicagoland area, I actually attended Whitney Young HS right down the street from UIC. My uncle graduated from UIC, too, and he gave me a great impression of the school. So after enjoying a few business classes in high school, UIC Business was a natural consideration. LABS I discovered on Facebook, actually. It came up in a sidebar, and I started following their page. I kept track of their posts and their events until I eventually attended a meeting. And here I am – a testament to the value of social media marketing!

What have you gotten involved in through LABS?

DE: LABS introduced me to Junior Achievement and a lot of fundraising activities. LABS also connected me with the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA). ALPFA is a huge nationwide network that includes students and professionals, so through ALPFA, I’ve started networking with business students at other schools, as well as with recruiters from a number of different firms.

LE: LABS also got me involved in ALPFA, which has been a great bridge between students and the business world. Through ALPFA, student members connect with the Big Four, Allstate, Goldman Sachs, and many other business members. And I, too, have built a nationwide network through ALPFA. I continue to meet ALPFA members with similar interests, and my network continues to grow.

What was the recent Deloitte event like?

LE: The Deloitte event was great! LABS was very proud to host Carter Hartung and Mary Pat Kohberger, two Deloitte employees who shared a lot of information with us. Mary is a UIC alumna, actually, and she was very excited to be back on campus connecting with current students.

Both representatives spoke about their experience at Deloitte, and about current opportunities at the company, including the kind of company culture, programs, and services that new employees can expect. Carter is a campus recruiter and gave us great pointers about internships and the job search process.

DE: I got a lot out of their presentation, which included a detailed rundown of Deloitte’s structure and the services they provide. The Q&A was great, too – they fielded every kind of question, and we had many.

After the presentation, I got to meet both Carter and Mary and chat with them for a minute. We exchanged cards, and they invited me to contact them in the future with any questions. I will certainly be in touch!

For more information about the Latino Association of Business Students at UIC, visit http://labsuic.org/.