Thriving FSU Chapter Builds Networks, Enthusiasm for Careers

It all started with her lecture on the U.S. dollar as it relates to the European Monetary System.  As Martha Evans told her undergraduate students about the dollar’s projected path, she used the latest NABE Outlook forecast.   Two of her students asked: “What’s NABE?”

Evans, a NABE member since 2000, told them about NABE and what it offers its members, and her students followed up with a visit to the website  (www.nabe.com), where they found a listing of student chapters.

That was more than five years ago, in 2004.  Today the FSU chapter is thriving as the largest of what NABE’s Board of Directors hopes will be a growing number of student chapters around the United States.  Education is a top priority for the new board that took office at the end of the 51st Annual Meeting in St. Louis in mid-October.  NABE President Lynn Reaser describes these goals in her letter to members in this issue.

The FSU chapter’s success illustrates how a combination of enthused students (both undergraduate and graduate students) and a supportive administration and faculty make all the difference.

Students Benefit from Attending St. Louis Meeting

All five members of the FSU board attended NABE’s 51st Annual Meeting in mid-October, thanks to the support of FSU’s College of Social Sciences and private sources.  By their own accounts, the students found the experience valuable for the opportunity to hear policymakers and private analysts and for the networking and career information.

“Strong faculty and administration support is key to building a strong student chapter,” said Evans, who has served as its sponsor since it began. She is also chief economist and owner of Evans Economic consulting and is adjunct professor of economics at FSU.

“I truly feel that it’s the way to build NABE membership—reaching out to students and bringing them into NABE at the earliest stages of their careers,” she said.

In 2008 the chapter sent two board members to the annual meeting in Washington, D.C., and this year, through the support of the dean’s office and private contributors, the chapter sent all five board members to St. Louis.  Students who attended said they gained valuable insights and had several opportunities to meet NABE members who offered guidance and support as they explore career options.

In a brief interview with NABE News via e-mail, David Rasmussen, dean of FSU’s College of Social Sciences, said he decided to support the students’ membership in NABE because “organizations like NABE provide students with extraordinary leadership opportunities that our College wants to foster.”  He agreed to provide funds for travel to conferences and an annual banquet for the student chapter.

“Also NABE provides excellent opportunities for professional development as the students get to interact with professionals at conferences and visiting speakers that are sponsored by the NABE program and the economics department, the dean said.

Rasmussen also agreed to fully fund both NABE and chapter dues for all 23 students in FSU’s Applied Master’s of Economics program. Evans said that with the addition of the Master’s students, the chapter’s membership has grown to more than 50.

Not only do students benefit from the NABE affiliation, but also the college has seen a surge in interest in its degree programs, according to Bruce Benson, chair of the Department of Economics.

“Interest generated by the chapter attracts undergraduate majors and compliments recruitment efforts for graduate students.  We have had NABE students enter our Applied Economics Masters program,” he said.

Bridging Gap From College to Career

Benson also said he sees value for the students as they are “exposed to the professional world prior to graduation, and [NABE] bridges the gap between their academic and professional experience.  It eases their transition from college to the workplace in a way that cannot take place in the classroom.”

Through their NABE membership, students have “numerous opportunities to network with working professionals.  This informs them about the range of possible career choices available to economists.  This in turn adds relevance to their coursework and gives them the incentive to be successful students.  These students gain self confidence and poise by attending conferences and meetings where they are able to interact with leaders in the profession,” Benson said.   

Several faculty members have become involved in chapter activities and are serving as mentors for the students, including Gary Fournier and Tim Salmon.  Evans pointed out  “through the chapter’s Faculty Focus series, numerous faculty have given presentations to members on topics ranging from their most recent research interests, to their teaching experience and career paths.  Chapter members express that this closer relationship and interaction with faculty has greatly enhanced their academic experience.“

Students Appreciate Learning about “Real World”

A few days after returning from the St. Louis meeting, FSU chapter President Tom Laughlin said that one of the main reasons he became involved with NABE, about a year ago, was “to better prepare myself for the ‘real’ world and to take on a leadership position related to my major to set myself apart from my peers.”

Laughlin, who plans to graduate in the spring of 2010, cited the “great relationships and opportunities uniquely afforded by having such a successful chapter.”   He enjoys working with fellow officers to bring interesting professionals to speak at meetings.

The opportunity to hear from professional economists as she explores career options is important to Dolly Fuhr, FSU chapter secretary. “I really wanted to focus on a group that would somehow benefit my major as well as help show me different career options that come with an economics degree and NABE provided just what I was looking for,” she said.   Representatives of the national NABE office have “been wonderful in helping us along by sharing their knowledge as well as allowing us to be apart of some amazing experiences such as the 51st Annual Meeting in St. Louis,” she added.

Fuhr said she is considering public policy positions after graduation, possibly working in a state government agency or at the federal level.  “It’s interesting to see how certain polices can change the state of our society as well as predicting what the future holds as a result from these polices. It’s a fast moving field and there are always new ways to look at things to solve problems and there will always be a demand for economists,” she said.

Impressed with the access to professional economists through the chapter, Leslie Evans, treasurer, said networking is one of the main benefits of membership. “I've met so many wonderful, talented people, especially at the St. Louis conference, that are all so willing to meet us and offer their support. When it comes time for me to start searching for a job or internship, my options are expanded and it gives me a lead above other students who are not a part of NABE,” she said.

Evans, who plans to graduate in December of 2010, said she has a strong interest in the analytical element of economics. “I feel like it helps me to really understand how people make decisions in their lives,” she said, adding that she especially enjoys learning about the economics of law, and state and local government, including tax law implications.

Javier Guerra, the chapter’s parliamentarian, agreed that networking opportunities are a compelling reason to join the group. “One of the main benefits of belonging to the chapter is the opportunity to meet professionals and listen to their advice.  These are things that students do not learn in classrooms and from books,” he said.

With a strong interest in monetary policy, Guerra said he plans a career in business economics, possibly after going on to graduate school after he completes his FSU degree in 2011.

Judging by the level of enthusiasm among both students and faculty involved in the FSU chapter, the forecast looks good for continued growth.  And Evans notes that the two students who first asked her about NABE in 2004 are part of the success story.  She said the students—Russ Sebring and Stefano Bury—“have gone on to be extremely successful in their careers and, in fact, still participate in and support our chapter.”

“We have developed a tradition of honoring all of our chapter’s past presidents at our end-of-year banquet, and are pleased to see the ranks of our alumni growing year over year.  These relationships will be not only professionally rewarding for our members, but personally rewarding as well,” she said.

Share: