Connecting in Texas

At the end of October, twelve Macaulay students pursuing degrees in Accounting and Finance were given the opportunity to attend the Make Accounting Diverse and Equitable (MADE) Leadership Summit. The event was hosted by “big four” company, Deloitte, and enabled the scholars to travel to Deloitte University, the company’s leadership center located in Dallas. The MADE Summit brought together students from all over the nation. Accompanying the students on the trip was Macaulay Program Manager Darren Cummings, a new member of the Student Development team.

Throughout the event, Macaulay scholars engaged in activities to further their understanding of the importance of diversity in the workplace: keynote speeches, one-to-one networking sessions with other students and current Deloitte employees, and friendly accounting-based competitions. Students were also exposed to nationwide internship opportunities that Deloitte has to offer.

“I think this was not only a great opportunity for the students to network with professionals in fields they are interested in, but it was a great opportunity for me as well,” said Cummings. “Having the chance to interact with students face-to-face, especially coming out of the pandemic, is something that I really enjoyed.”

Macaulay scholars echoed Cumming’s feeling of community on the trip. Trishtan Balkaran ‘26 (Baruch) shared that his favorite part of the trip was being able to meet other students who are planning to work in the same field as he does. “This was a great experience that I did through Macaulay. It was great to connect with individuals who have a similar interest in the Accounting world as me,” said Trishtan. “Our cohort even got to make s’mores on our last night there!”

“This trip taught me a lot about the experiences Macaulay offers its students, and I am looking forward to creating more of this valuable programming in the future,” added Cummings.

The trip reflects Macaulay’s commitment to providing high level opportunities that prepare students for the working world, as well as providing the tools for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Dean Dara Byrne said, “we want our scholars to understand that diversity drives progress, whether it be in a classroom, a professional work environment, or beyond.”