Student Organization Spotlight - ALPFA

Take a moment to get to know Dennis Mina, senior finance and accounting major and president of the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting.  ALPFA is the premier organization for expanding opportunities for Latino leadership in the global market. It expands opportunities for students who seek careers in business, accounting, finance, and related professions by empowering them to develop as leaders through the management of student chapters, delivering quality student programs focused on professional development, providing access to the industry network of professional members and sponsors, offering access to scholarship programs and creating opportunities to network with other students. Membership is open to anyone who shares the values, mission, and principles of ALPFA.

Q: What does ALPFA have planned so far for the 2013-2014 school year?

For spring 2014, ALPFA plans to reach out to all the students at McCoy in every discipline of business.  ALPFA is an all-encompassing organization dedicated to bringing opportunities to all majors.  Our plans include networking with more professionals, alumni and faculty in order to provide our members all the benefits that come with being part of ALPFA. We have communication with our national chapter and other local chapters to poll our resources together in order to enhance membership experience.

Q: How will your major and ALPFA help you reach your goals?

My majors in finance and accounting have helped me tremendously in reaching my goals. Having knowledge in both majors allows me to evaluate financials for my current job as a credit analyst and to determine proper valuations required when making commercial loans. Being part of ALPFA has provided me numerous amounts of networking opportunities with both fellow peers and with professionals.  ALPFA has given me experience in being part of a team and on being a leader; both qualities being crucial to a career in business.

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

The biggest resource on campus I recommend students to utilize is Career Services. From talking to other students, not everyone knows all the services provided; i.e. mock interviews and on-campus interviews with recruiters.  Participating in mock interviews is extremely helpful in getting over the interview anxiety most interviewees experience and some questions can throw you for a loop if you haven’t practiced answering it beforehand.  Employers participating in the on-campus interviews are specifically looking for Bobcats to hire and interviewing at the LBJ Student Center makes it convenient.

Q: What is your favorite part about Texas State?

I have so many favorite parts!  However, the one I enjoyed the most was being part of the Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF).  SMIF gives all participants real-world experience of what it takes to evaluate portfolio performance and to make holding recommendations.  This course, in my opinion, was the most challenging and the most rewarding.  It challenges you to manage several projects simultaneously, examine economic conditions and to determine strategic moves. Presentations are vast, research never-ending and team work essential.  I truly believe SMIF provides the opportunity to develop close friendships with peers; my closest friends now are people I worked with.

Q: What do you think is the ‘key to success’?

I think the ‘key to success’ is not being afraid to ask questions. More and more often I have found that employers and faculty alike don’t expect us to have extensive knowledge in our field. Hiring managers are looking for individuals who can formulate questions and are willing to learn through the process.

2013 - 2014 ALPFA officers L to R: Anthony Martin, Raul Almanza, Oscar Rangel, Ryland Chittenden, Lorelei Chittenden, Stephanie Daul, Dennis Mina, and Zach Dollarhide


To learn more about ALPFA, you can visit their website here