Issue No.

2 / January 24th 2011

NEWSLETTER
ALPFA at Florida International University / Spring 2011 / Volume No. 1

PwC and Prudential

“We believe in developing you as a professional and growing
together as one family.”

Dawn Lazar presenting to members resume PwC, led by Robert Conrad (front), presented Robert Ruiz from Prudential presented for
tips, how to dress appropriately, and upcoming for accounting members. finance members.
events.
 Table of Contents

This Week in ALPFA at FIU

page 2
My ALPFA Story

page 3
Last Week in ALPFA at FIU

page 4
Upcoming Events

pages 4 - 5
Professional Development

page 6
Case Competition

pages 7 - 8

This Week in ALPFA at FIU

No Meeting

Friday, January 28th, 2011 – GC Ballrooms!

Session #1: 4:00 – 5:45pm!
Session #2: 6:00 – 7:45pm!
Last day to RSVP: Wednesday, January 26th at 6:00pm!
Gold Sponsors:! ! Silver Sponsors:!
 My ALPFA Story

by Paola Lacouture
President - Elect
•••

Hello everyone! My name is Paola Lacouture and I am your President-Elect for the 2011 spring
semester.  I was one of those students that would just go to school and back home without really
appreciating all of the opportunities that FIU has to offer; then, I realized that I needed to stop thinking
as a student began thinking as a professional. My father always told me: "aim for the sky,
because if you aim that high, you will at least land on a star;” this organization is one
of those stars. There is one word that defines ALPFA perfectly: MOTIVATION; ALPFA is the greatest
source of motivation that you could have at this point in your lives.
 

ALPFA is not only the most prestigious business organization here at FIU, but it is also a fountain of
consistent commitment that brings the best to all its members. Furthermore, when I say "the best" I
mean the best job opportunities, the best networking, and most importantly, the best family you can
grow with. ALPFA opens the doors to new opportunities and ensures that you obtain the best out of
every situation. This association and its members make you feel part of something important and that
you could make a difference in someone else's life, professionally and emotionally. Thanks to ALPFA,
you can wake up everyday in the morning with the ambition of growing and becoming a better person,
and I say this with confidence because I have been in your shoes. I once aimed for the sky and I landed
in ALPFA, and I must say I could not have landed in a better place.
 

I look forward to working with each one of you this semester. Welcome to the ALPFA family!
Last Week in ALPFA at FIU Afterwards, members went to our Back-to-School
Bash! Held at Bird Bowl, members had fun and got
to know one another by playing pool and spending
time together.
Dawn Lazar, PwC, Prudential, and
Back-to-School Bash
•••

ALPFA at FIU welcomed the first presenting firms

of the semester this past week! Big 4 accounting
firm PwC and financial service leader Prudential
presented. Additionally, Dawn Lazar (cover page,
lower left corner), gave members tips on resume
writing, how to dress appropriately, and information
on upcoming events.

Led by Robert Conrad, PwC (cover page, lower

middle), began their presentation by challenging
members to a “Winter Trivia Challenge” followed
by insight into the firm, which included available
opportunities.

For our finance members, Robert Ruiz (cover

page, lower right,) talked about professional
development, Prudential, his work and daily duties,
job opportunities, recruitment skills and tips, and
other very interesting topics.

Upcoming Events
Community Service Committee Meeting
- First meeting will take place on Thursday, Jan 27th at 6:00pm by the CBC
Organization Room
- Contact Eric Erdvig at eerdv001@fiu.edu for more information!
Spring 2011 Modesto Maidique Campus Career Fair
- Date: Thursday, February 3rd, 2011
- Time: 2:00 - 7:00pm
- Location: U.S. Century Bank Arena
- Log in to careers.fiu.edu for more information!

Car Wash!
- Date: Sunday, February 6th, 2011
- Time: 9:00am - 3:00pm
- Location: Checker’s: 10695 Bird Rd, Miami, FL 33165 (NE Corner of SW
40th St & 107th Ave)
- Pre-Sale tickets: $5; Tickets at Event: $7; 2 points awarded for each ticket
- Contact Yasnay Montalvo at ALPFAfunds@gmail.com for more
information!
Upcoming Events Continued

Mock Interviews
- Date: Saturday, February 12th, 2011
- Time: 8:00am - 4:00pm
- Location: Career Management Services, CBC 121
- Hone your interviewing skills! You will be practicing interviews one-on-
one with real professionals, with feedback provided at the end.
- For more information, please contact David Ribera at
dribera1@gmail.com
ALPFA Finance Summit
- Date: Thursday, February 24th
- Time: 6:00 - 10:00pm
- Location: GC 243
- Get the opportunity to network with professional of the finance
industry!
- A panel discussion with prestigious speakers of the industry will take
place as well as networking opportunity.
- Contact Arianna Monserrat for more information at
amonserrat4541@gmail.com

Miami Heat Ticket Raffle!

Professional Development

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Case Competition
Case Competition
Case Competition Continued

Case Competition

The KPMG Case Competition presents accounting students with the challenge of resolving real-
world accounting issues in a collegial and competitive environment. It provides students with the
opportunity to work with KPMG advisors, better understand the demands and rewards of the
accounting profession, and network with finance and accounting professionals from across the United
States.

The 2011 format will begin with three first-round competitions held during the national ALPFA
convention. Students from schools throughout the United States will participate in these initial
competitions for the right to move on to the National Finals competition. The first-round
competitions will be on Sunday, August 7. The top two teams from each of those competition
rooms will go on to compete in the Finals competition the next day on Monday, August 8,
along with the national winner and runner-up teams from the previous year.

Participation in our case study competition also allows your team to fully participate in
ALPFA’s National Convention. Students will be exposed to professionals from all over the
country who work in a variety of accounting and finance related positions. All student and faculty
advisor travel expenses, including airfare and hotel, will be paid for by KPMG. In addition to covering
your convention registration fee, ALPFA is also providing one-year free memberships to all students and
faculty who participate in this competition.

If interested, please send resume to cpena015@fiu.edu

Deadline to Apply: Tuesday, January 25th, 2011
Team requirements:
- Each participating team should consist of four to five student members and a faculty advisor. A
professional advisor will be provided by KPMG. Team participant requirements are as follows:
- Teams must be comprised of approximately 80 percent Latino students.
- Teams must be comprised of approximately 80 percent accounting majors with curriculum to
support sitting for the CPA exam upon graduation. Teams are permitted to have one team member
who is a non-accounting business major.
- Teams should be comprised of primarily undergraduate students who are graduating in spring/
summer of 2012 or later.
- The team must consist of no more than one senior graduating in spring or summer of 2011 and at
least one sophomore.
- Team members must be actively enrolled students and should maintain a minimum GPA of 3.3.
- Team members should embrace and support ALPFA’s values, mission, and principles as identified on
the ALPFA Web site at www.ALPFA.org.

Need more Information? Go to www.alpfafiu.org!

If you have any questions or concerns, or would like to be part of the newsletter committee, please feel free to
contact me, Antonio Benitez, at abeni010@fiu.edu