Student Organization of the Month: Student Economics Association

Get to know the Student Economics Association, our Student Organization of the Month for April!

   

L to R: Sinan, Unnar, Danielle, Nikki (President), Lauren, Logan

 Q: How will your major and the Student Economics Association help you reach your goals? 

Lauren: Economics helped me understand the cyclical and interconnected nature of business, and I think that will help me thrive when I enter the corporate universe. SEA has given me great opportunities to show what I have learned here and raised my knowledge, leadership ability, and problem solving skills. Presentations from distinguished leaders in the business and education fields have also expanded my mind and provided valuable networking resources. 

Unnar: Economics helps me visualize the big picture when it comes to financial markets and/or specific industries. SEA furthers my understanding of economics outside the classroom through experienced guest speakers, or presentations on related topics by one of our greatly qualified officers.  

Logan: The field of economics teaches a unique mindset for approaching a wide array of problems well beyond the typical business sphere.  The modeling and analytical techniques and expansive knowledge base of economics represents an invaluable toolset that I will carry with me for my entire career. The Student Economics Association brings together the most dedicated and active members with a similar understanding and approach to challenges facing businesses both in the macro and micro climates. 

Nikki: As a Finance major, Economics teaches me to remember to look at the bigger picture see how all the parts of the economy can work together. SEA also has incorporated more than just plain old economics it also teaches me how to be a part of a group, learn important tools that employers look at such as analytics, modeling, top down analysis etc. Economics is one of those majors that has its hands in everyone else’s and every major can benefit from it since they all use economics in some form. 
 
Danielle: The field of economics is a unique industry that offers an opportunity to broaden the outlook through which we view the world in every aspect of our lives. Through the Student Economics Association, we endeavor to aid fellow peers along their paths in economics, collaborating various majors into one field, which utilizes skillsets from the entire business-oriented umbrella. My personal goals of entrepreneurship, intertwined with academia, will continue to develop with my experience in SEA competitions, community, and service.

Sinan: Being part of the Student Economic Association has expanded my visual outlook on the economy, especially when my focus at Texas State is Finance. The Student Economic Association gives students and faculty the opportunity to understand the science behind economics, while analyzing specific problems and markets that a society may be going through. The Student Economic Association has not only allowed me to engage in discussions with fellow students about economics,  but will allow me to have a better understanding on the economy as a whole when making important investment decisions in the near future. 

Q: What resource on campus do you recommend for students to utilize? 

Lauren: I would highly recommend every student visit Career Services. Also, investigate the resources at Alkek, especially the online database for research. It's a much better place to find references than Google. Lastly, subscribe to the discounted Wall Street Journal and actually read it. We need to stay up to date on what's happening in the business world, especially as we get closer to entering it. 

Unnar: There are three resources I would encourage every student to take advantage of.  First, McCoy's trading lab and especially the Bloomberg stations. Second, the many useful resources Alkek library has to offer. And lastly, subscribe to the discounted Wall Street Journal. I also recommend students actively participating in their departments beyond their course and seek out the vast opportunities that the faculty represent.  They are the storehouses of the skills and knowledge that we all hope to acquire and courses are such a limited environment designed to be suitable to the most but are not meant to provide any student with any distinctive skillset.  This requires a vast amount of initiative and discipline but the payoffs are immeasurable. 

Nikki: 1) I would say a student organization that gets you involved and allows you to find people who have been through your shoes. Then when you think you figured it out volunteer for a leadership role and get involved with the students and help them succeed also.  2) Office Hours! I love that Texas State has office hours for additional aid and guidance in our courses and also guidance in our careers. I have been to several of my professors and they are always willing to help with school or just life. 3) Catsweb mentor section. There is a section on Catsweb where students can look up alumni from Texas State in their major. I highly suggest you reach out to them and see how they got there. 

Danielle: There remains a copious amount of resources at hand, at any time, for students to take advantage of in their academic careers. Among those I have discovered most helpful are: departmental computer labs, Alkek Library, SLAC lab, and organizational activities. Clubs such as the Student Economics Association offer opportunities for extra curricular competitions, which allow hands on interaction with professors and peers. This experience is second to none and the main reason for McCoy's high recognition among fellow business colleges of its kind.

Sinan: There are many resources that Texas State offers to their students all around campus. Therefore, I personally suggest that students should take the opportunity to join any type of student organization at Texas State. A student will not only engage in activities that he or she may be interested in, but can socialize and connect with other members of that organization while letting themselves be heard to make a change for the better. 

 

Q: What has been the most meaningful part of your McCoy Experience? 

Lauren: Getting to work with awesome students and professors on projects that really interest me and will help me in my career and future education. 

Unnar: The networking experience with many of our excellent professors and inspired students.  

The most meaningful part of McCoy is the ability to completely immerse oneself in exploring academic and intellectual endeavors without distraction or the requisite for providing anyone else with a real return. Nowhere else can you interact with talented peers and professors in such a singular environment. 

Nikki: When I first came to Texas State University and I sat in a lecture hall for the first time. I always dreamed of going to college and I was the first in my family to make it! When I sat there I made a list of what i wanted to accomplish. 1) Get into McCoy 2) Become president of a Student Organization 3) Get into the Student Managed Investment Fund. When I got back from Spring Break Monday March 23rd, I learned that I accomplished all three in the trading lab (my favorite room) and I couldn’t have been happier.

Danielle: The hands-on experience in SEA TUN Competition Team and Theoretical Modeling Research, outside of classes, has stood far beyond the scope of my lessons in-class. This almost graduate level work with peers and professors has taught me skills that I will carry to graduate classes and beyond. 

Sinan: The most meaningful part of my McCoy Experience would be working with many students to reach the same goal. Networking with members of a student organization, and interacting with professors throughout McCoy. 

 

Q: What makes your organization special/unique? 

Unnar: We aim to be member-oriented organization. All members have a say in our agenda/activities, and it is that that makes us so interactive. (Lauren approved)

Nikki: SEA is where your legacy begins at Texas State. There are so many opportunities as a member and as officers to get involved and actually make a difference. We strive to allow everyone to become active members who do not just want to show up but also teach us what they have to offer too. I love the fact that we have an open community who has members who want to not just become colleagues but also friends that will be there throughout your journey.  

Q: What is something you wish someone would’ve told you before you started your college journey? 

Lauren: Take advantage of every opportunity. Join clubs, study abroad, internships, extra credit, etc. Everything you are offered is a chance to improve yourself. When you get to an interview and have to prove you deserve your dream job, make the sell as easy as possible. 

Unnar: That I probably should have taken a minor, but except from that it has been a learning experience that I am glad I had to face. 

Nikki: Education is what you make of it, If you want to learn something work for it, books can’t read themselves and teachers can’t read minds so be proactive! and always remember to work hard everyday until you no longer have to introduce yourself.

Danielle: Student Economics Association is unique in its ability to bring all business majors together in one place due to the wide application of economics as a field. Not many other majors hold such a variability, which can bring so many students together. In this method, we have the honor of joining all business students and teaching them how they are alike, while they each teach one another the many ways their differences meld to make the group stronger. As an organization, we can help each other learn about weakness and grown in areas of strength.

Sinan: I believe that the Student Economic Association is unique compared to other student organizations throughout McCoy and Texas State, because our organization allows any kind of major to join the Student Economic Association and not just students who focus on economics. We let everybody be heard no matter what position they are in the organization, and we have a very respectable group of officers that work together in a professional manner. 

 

Q: How can students join your organization?
Unnar: It's Easy! Just show up to a SEA meeting, express your interest and we will add you to the list.

Nikki: The SEA board on the 3rd floor will list when our next meeting is. Come in and provide your contact information and we will contact you. All you have to do is show up and then you are one step closer. 

Danielle: Attend any of our Thursday meetings, announced on the SEA billboard on the 3rd floor of the McCoy building. Once there, simply sign-in with our Secretary Logan Travis, to have your name added to the Member Roster. (Meeting announcements and more information can also be found on the McCoy SEA TRACS page.) 

Sinan: Students can join the Student Economic Association by joining one of our meetings that takes place at McCoy room 124 every other Thursday at 5:00 PM. Students can also gain more information about the organization and the next topic discussed at each meeting if they look at the SEA billboard on the 3rd floor of the McCoy building.