Welcome to Student Group Spotlight! Every month, we will feature a different student group to demonstrate the many diverse groups we have at MacEwan and how they all contribute to a vibrant, thriving community on our campus.
Meet the MacEwan University Accounting Club! We sat down with three of their members to discuss the core values of their group, the upcoming tax clinic and the benefits of networking!
SAMU: Welcome to the Student Group Spotlight! Tell me a bit about yourselves.
Isabel: Hi, I’m Isabel Reay. I’m a third-year accounting student and one of the co-presidents of the accounting club!
Samantha: Hi, I’m Samantha Freeman. I’m also one of the co-presidents of the accounting club, and I’m a fourth-year accounting student.
Adrian: Hi, I’m Adrian Pulido. I’m in my fifth year of accounting, and I’m the ambassador of the accounting club!
SAMU: Great to meet you! What is the MacEwan University Accounting Club, and what do you do?
Isabel: Our club encompasses three aspects that make up our slogan, ‘network, power and educate’! For networking, we provide students with many opportunities to meet with accounting professionals and learn about the different kinds of companies and firms that hire accountants . We empower students by giving them the opportunity to volunteer and get involved. Students can volunteer with our tax clinic and learn what it means to work as an accountant. For education, we focus on all the different facets of accounting, so we have our tax clinic, Co-op session, and CPA info sessions to give students a better idea of their diverse future with accounting.
SAMU: Wow, that sounds interesting! Why did you join the MUAC, and what’s your favourite part about being a member?
Adrian: I decided to join because I wanted the opportunity to grow as an individual. I love to network and socialize and wanted to work on my soft skills, like communication. I used to be shy, but after joining this group I’ve really come out of my shell! My favourite part about being a member is that I get instant access to all the events and the opportunity to learn what it’s like to be an executive and gain new skills.
Samantha: I joined because I wanted to meet more people in the accounting field and find students with the same interests as me! I wanted to meet more people who are interested in taking the CPA path and work to build my network with students as well as professionals. My favourite thing we do is community outreach, like with our tax clinic. Getting involved with the Edmonton community and extending our club resources beyond the campus is really fulfilling.
Isabel: I joined MacEwan during the pandemic and didn’t experience much university life in my first year. I joined to get more involved on campus and in student life. Through this, I learned how vital it is to network, and I’ve learned about the different career paths in accounting and discovered it’s such an expansive career. I joined the executive team to give students more opportunities to learn and more chances to network with accounting professionals and students!
SAMU: What accounting knowledge and background might students need to join the group?
Samantha: You don’t need any accounting experience or knowledge to join! You don’t even have to be interested in accounting to join; we offer opportunities for all business majors, and we have a marketing and finance team and more. We have somewhere for everyone to fit in and gain experience!
SAMU: That’s great to know! I hear that you run a tax clinic every year. Can you tell me how that operates?
MUAC: Our tax clinic opens every March. Our volunteers are all MacEwan Students who receive training from Professors here on campus. We work with professionals to ensure everything is done correctly and that we provide quality training. Anyone can come to get their taxes done; we do basic income tax returns but no business income. Our executives double-check all our returns before they are submitted. The tax clinic is a great way to learn what it means to be a tax accountant and earn real-life experience to add to your resume!
SAMU: What other events do you offer?
Isabel: We host other events like our upcoming networking mixer, Meet the Firm, which is a kickoff to the recruiting season! We also host multiple info sessions like the CPA and Co-op info sessions, where we often have representatives from the Industry, like the Citadel Theater, come speak about the Industry! In the CPA info sessions, we go over the admission requirements needed for a CPA designation, what it’s like to be a CPA, and what career options are available since you can do many things with a CPA!
Adrian: During the most recent Co-op info sessions, we had guests from the MacEwan Careers and Experiences office discuss Co-op and their benefits, as well as past Co-op students to share their experiences and advise interested students.
SAMU: Wow I might have to check those out. What benefits can students look forward to gaining from your events?
Isabel: Overall, the major benefits are that all our events are created and executed from an accounting perspective. We continuously invite hiring firms and companies to speak about what they are looking for in students, so it’s a great opportunity to learn and prepare for the future. Through our events, we work to show that there is more to accounting than just taxes. Accounting is in every field, providing many opportunities to work in different areas and places. We want to show this to students and provide them with as many opportunities as possible!
Samantha: Definitely. For students, networking gives you a head start when it comes to recruitment season. You will meet many potential employers, so then it’s more comfortable when you go in for those interviews or reach out to get coffee and chat because you are familiar with their team. Our mixers also help with this since students can practice their conversation and networking skills in a casual situation with low stakes.
SAMU: What would you say to someone considering joining a Student Group?
Samantha: Getting involved on campus will enhance your university experience, whether that’s making friends, having free activities to go to, or just building your resume through volunteering and external experience! There is a group for everyone out there.
Isabel: My university experience has become all-encompassing after joining a group. I know so much about what’s going on on campus and more about my degree and the different pathways I can take. It’s a great way to meet other students with shared interests and get involved in leadership.
SAMU: Anything you want to say to students before we end, anything to promote or keep an eye out for?
MUAC: Our tax clinic begins on March 18th, so if you want your taxes done for free, hang out with us, and we will do that for you! We are also looking for new Executive members. You can have any major and any level of experience; if you’re looking to join a student group on an executive level, we welcome you to join us! Use this link to learn share you interest about joining. Also, follow us on Instagram @muaccountingclub we post about all our events and opportunities there, so it’s a great way to stay informed. We also have a monthly newsletter to advertise our events and external opportunities, you can check it out through this link.
You can connect with The MacEwan University Accounting Club on social media through Instagram, LinkedIn or their website.
Follow SAMU on social media through Instagram (@sa_macewan), Twitter (@SAMacEwan), and Facebook (Students’ Association of MacEwan University) to stay up to date on the latest events, programs, and services from your students’ association.
