As students look for different social circles to be a part of, it is easy to just think of groups such as sports teams, fraternities and sororities. However, there are also students who dedicate their free time to groups that coincide with their future goals once they leave Chapman. These groups can be found here at the Argyros School of Business and Economics and include clubs such as the Accounting Society and the Chapman Real Estate Association.

We spoke with Samantha Martin, president of the Accounting Society, about all that her group has to offer. The Accounting Society is a professional organization that connects students to accounting employers through networking events, on-campus presentations, career fairs, interviewing workshops, and many more social events. Many members of the Accounting Society have secured internships and full-time positions with accounting organizations by consistently attending Accounting Society events and building relationships with professionals. There are no specific requirements to be a member, but they encourage members to attend as many events as possible in order to increase their chances of landing a position with an accounting organization. The Accounting Society recently co-hosted an event called “Meet the Firms” with the Office of Career Planning and Placement on September 20th, which was a career fair featuring 27 accounting organizations that recruit and employ Chapman students. They had a very successful turnout this year and look forward to organizing a bigger and better “Meet the Firms” next year.  As the semester continues they will be hosting numerous events on campus such as Mock Interviews, Employer Office Hours, and weekly Speaker Engagements in which students will continue to build relationships with representatives from accounting organizations.

The Chapman Real Estate Association is a group that creates opportunities for Chapman Students to develop real estate specific knowledge, job skills, and professional relationships. Headed by President Xavier Padilla, their mission includes promoting awareness and education about the real estate field, giving students the opportunity to explore, discuss, and exchange ideas and experiences with each other as well as real estate executives here in Southern California, and finally to help students secure internships and eventually jobs in this field.  There are no requirements to join (except for a winning attitude) and all upcoming events can be viewed under the “events” page on their website:

Students interested in either organization should think about attending one of their upcoming events. Accounting Society hosts weekly Speaker Engagements on Wednesday nights (September 26th, October 3rd, October 10th, October 17th, November 7th, and November 14th).  Also, the Real Estate Association has a major speaker series event with Lee Ann Canaday on October 16th at 7pm in AF201 in the Academic Senate Boardroom. LeAnn is a multi-million dollar real estate producer who specializes in “high end” luxury homes in Orange County.  Ms. Canaday has her own TV show and writes for the Orange County registrar real estate column. In addition, she also sits on the Board of Counselors for the Argyros School of Business and Economics and is a major contributor to Chapman University.

-Jared Moriarty