Creating Community

“My family, we’re all into math, and I was the only one that geared more toward business,” explained Abdul Alwan, Fall 2022 Cohort President for the Master of Science in Accounting & Analytics (MSAA) program. Born in Iraq, Alwan moved with his family to Jordan before coming to the United States. Growing up in New Jersey, he began to realize his talent and affinity for accounting; however, he struggled to find a college that was the right fit. Upon his uncle’s recommendation, Alwan came to the University of Louisville to complete his undergraduate degree in accounting. “As soon as I took the first class, [I] just fell in love with it,” he shared. Not only were his courses inspiring him to pursue an accounting degree, but his undergraduate internship experience at Louisville accounting firm Dean Dorton also solidified his commitment toward his professional path and fostered a strong connection leading him into a new position at the company in 2024.

Building Bonds

Upon completing his Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Alwan decided to continue his journey in higher education due to the need to earn credit hours that would allow him to sit for his CPA exams, an essential component for achieving his CPA license. His decision to pursue his graduate degree at UofL was grounded in the connections he had established as an undergraduate. “I liked being here in undergrad and the friends I made, so I thought it would be best to stay within UofL because of all the connections.”

Creating Community

Alwan notes the impact of the support and guidance the Director of the School of Accountancy, Professor Michael Wade, provided. “I serve as president for the MSAA, so [we] always have impromptu meetings and message each other. I think he’s pushed me to becoming more of a leader.” Having established himself as a leader for his cohort, Alwan made it a mission to develop a sense of inclusion and community among members of the MSAA program. “A lot of our class members, we all hang out and have events outside like trivia night and game night, so we always post [in our] forums and group chat.”

Once we figured out there was a global trip, we wanted to get everyone on the same trip so we would have fun being more familiar [with one another]. It was an eye-opening experience, and to experience that with people I call friends just made it a whole lot better. —Abdul Alwan

Establishing ways for the cohorts to stay in communication through technology and creating opportunities for socializing outside the classroom resulted in a close-knit group that made a choice to travel to the same countries for their international trip, a hallmark event for many College of Business students. Together, the students selected to travel to Turkey and Greece. “Once we figured out there was a global trip, we wanted to get everyone on the same trip so we would have fun being more familiar [with one another]. It was an eye-opening experience, and to experience that with people I call friends just made it a whole lot better.”

Tackling Teamwork

Throughout his MSAA program, Alwan is developing a sense of community among not just his cohort members but employees of Dean Dorton. The company has partnered with some MSAA students outside the classroom and office to achieve a common goal – maintain physical health and wellness and work together as a team through their kickball league at the LXC Sports & Social Club. “With Dean Dorton, they’re very supportive of things like that; they’ve been sponsoring our teams for the past two or three years. We get employees to play with us, and it helps us build relationships with each other.”

About the UofL College of Business:

Founded in 1953, The UofL College of Business fosters intellectual and economic vitality in our city, region, and the global business landscape. Our academic programs, research, community outreach initiatives, and commitment to student success inspire lives and businesses to flourish through entrepreneurship, innovation, critical thinking, diversity, and the power of people.

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