Having Accounting Troubles? Your Peers Can Help

The Albany Accounting Association offers consulting services to student clubs on campus.

The Albany Accounting Association was founded in the fall of 2016.

ALBANY, N.Y. (March 6, 2018) – Managing accounts isn’t easy, but a group of students is helping UAlbany student clubs stay on track financially.

The Albany Accounting Association comprising 50 members, offers financial guidance and support to clubs across campus.

Adam Kay and Michael Pelin, both senior accounting majors, started the club in the fall of 2016 as a way of getting more involved on campus and to gain practical experience within their field.

“Our main mission is to assist other student organizations with their financials, get them more organized with their money and give our members exposure to accounting experience,” Kay said. “We wanted to combine the world of banking with working with others, and to help make those valuable connections that will prepare them for the future.”

Pelin said club members are divided into groups to better cater to a club’s individual needs, making the club akin to a consulting service.

Consulting can mean meeting every couple of weeks to go over transactions, to a simple text message or email regarding a sizeable purchase, according to Pelin.

“It really just depends on the kind of majors and members of each perspective group,” he said.

A symbiotic relationship

While the main goal of the club is to assist other student groups, it also offers an array of opportunities to the club members themselves, Pelin said.

He said members have access to hands-on training and networking events throughout the academic year, with representatives from major accounting firms and faculty advisors from the School of Business.

Pelin said creating his own club has been an incredibly rewarding experience.

“When we’ve been working with different clubs and dealing with a lot of issues with them, and then start to see them not worrying about all of that and just focusing on what they’re main purpose is – that’s a really fun thing to watch,” he said.

Pelin said he and Kay will both be interning for accounting firms in New York City this summer.
Following their internships, they plan on continuing their education at UAlbany by pursuing a M.S. in professional accountancy after graduation.

Kay said anyone is welcome to get involved, regardless of major.

For more information, contact: [email protected]

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