Four School of Business Administration students are working to start an Alpha Kappa Psi (AKP) chapter at the University of Vermont. AKP is the oldest and largest professional business fraternity designed to provide educational, social, and networking opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty and business professionals alike.
Kelsea Peace, Abby Beck, Jason Hirsch and Josh Presson came up with the idea as part of the “Make A Difference” project in BSAD 196 - Entrepreneurial Leadership.
“When given the opportunity to “Make A Difference” in my Entrepreneurial Leadership class, I thought AKP would be the perfect organization to bring to UVM’s campus,” said Abby Beck, a senior Business Student concentrating in entrepreneurship. “Although I have already navigated through most of the challenges of being a college student, I feel that AKP offers me the chance to become a more well rounded professional.”
The fraternity was founded in 1904 at New York University as an organization based on five core values: Brotherhood, Knowledge, Integrity, Service, and Unity. There are over 200 active chapters located in the United States, Canada and the UK. Members have access to case competitions, leadership conferences, angel investors, alumnae clubs and a network of over 200,000 business professionals.
“A chapter of Alpha Kappa Psi will provide an environment for students interested in business to come together as a whole,” said Kelsea Peace, a senior Business School student concentrating in entrepreneurship. “Students are often categorized by their academic interest, whether it be entrepreneurship, finance, accounting, etc. This will be a place for students who are interested in business as a lifestyle, not just a concentration.”
“I think AKP, with the professional, social and service events that are offered, will bring a completely new organizational culture to the UVM Business School,” Beck said. “When I attended the University of Pittsburgh, I thought AKP, and similar organizations, were what was needed to be successful as a business student. The students in professional fraternities were the most present on campus, had the best internships, and were the most successful in class.”
The students are currently working with an expansion coordinator from the national organization who will be here at the University of Vermont in April to help establish the chapter on campus. They hope to begin recruiting in the next few weeks.