USM School of Accountancy hosts annual Meet the Firms Event

Mon, 10/02/2023 - 01:15pm

The School of Accountancy at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) hosted its annual Meet the Firms event at the Trent Lott Center on Sept. 7 at USM’s Hattiesburg campus. The annual event provides accounting students with an opportunity to network with a record number of well-known firms and organizations from across the State of Mississippi and beyond. 

More than 140 accounting students participated in this year’s event, with 32 different firms and organizations represented.

“We are grateful to the CPA firms, businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies that offer our students the opportunity to explore the many career options available with an accounting degree,” said Dr. Blaise Sonnier, Director of USM’s School of Accountancy.  “The continued support and participation of employers in our Meet the Firms event highlights that our students are job-ready upon completion of our accounting program.” 

The event is coordinated by Julia Bradley, Instructor and Director of Firm Relations, and Amber Hatten, Professor of Practice and the Director of the Master of Professional Accountancy (MPA) graduate program, with the support of Amy Yeend, Assistant Dean for Professional Development and Career Success for the USM College of Business and Economic Development. 

Amber Hatten noted that students studying accounting are in high demand in the professional job market. 

“Accounting is one of the most versatile and sought-after college degrees by employers, that affords students with the flexibility to pursue a variety of careers,” said Hatten.  “Accounting is often referred to as the ‘language of business’, and the USM School of Accountancy is preparing our students for future success, both as they begin their professional careers and as they advance within the accounting profession.”

Hatten expressed gratitude to the organizations that participated in the Fall 2023 Meet the Firms event. “It is our hope that many of our USM accounting students receive internship and full-time job opportunities as a direct result of the Meet the Firms event, and those opportunities would not be possible without the continued support of these organizations.  We are grateful for the employers’ continued interest in recruiting and hiring our talented accounting students at USM.”

Participating Firms/Organizations included:

1. Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi
2. C Spire
3. Carr, Riggs, & Ingram, LLC
4. Deloitte
5. Donnell CPA Group
6. EisnerAmper
7. Ernst & Young
8. Federal Deposit of Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
9. FORVIS
10. GranthamPoole PLLC
11. Haddox Reid Eubank Betts PLLC
12. Hancock Whitney
13. Hannis T. Bourgeois
14. Harper Rains Knight & Company
15. Holt & Associates
16. HORNE
17. KPMG
18. Laura Brame Cerra CPA PLLC
19. Matthews, Cutrer and Lindsay, P.A.
20. May & Company
21. Mississippi Department of Revenue
22. Mississippi Office of the State Auditor
23. Mississippi Society of CPAs
24. Molpus Woodlands Group
25. Piltz Williams LaRosa & Co
26. Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Co.
27. State of Alabama Dept. of Examiners of Public Accounts
28. Tandem CPAs
29. The First Bank
30. TMH
31. Trustmark
32. Wilkins Miller

Learn more about the School of Accountancy at USM, call 601.266.4641.