Leadership Development Program
Develop leadership skills. Build networking connections with leaders in West Michigan. Develop a mentoring relationship with Aquinas alumni working in your prospective industry.
What is the Leadership Development Program?
The Leadership Development Program aims to help students find success in finding a career, developing their leadership and professional skills. Learn what it takes to work in your prospective field through mentorship relationships with AQ Alumni, networking events, and more!
Benefits
Develop professional skills
- Grow your leadership and teamwork skills
- Learn how, when and where to network
- Gain confidence in talking to prospective employers
Opportunities for Growth
- Career events that put skills to practice
- Develop understandings on professional etiquette at corporate functions
- Work with peers to gain experience and solve real world business problems
Get a head start on your career
- Perfect your resume
- Learn about potential career paths through mentorship and networking
- Mentorship opportunities with an alumni mentor within your field of study
How to get involved
If you’re interested in participating in the Leadership Development Program, please fill out this Google Form.
For any questions regarding the program, please reach out to Mark O’Toole at otoolmar@aquinas.edu
Success Stories: AQ Alumni Features
Dan Diederich
Alumni Dan Diederich has found much success after graduating with a degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Marketing from Aquinas College in May 2019. He is currently the Business Lines Manager at TDA Insurance & Financial in Walled Lake, Michigan.
Dan’s experiences at Aquinas College provided him with many opportunities to enhance his skills, which aided in his career after graduation. He took on many leadership roles during his time as a Saint, including captain of the Men’s Lacrosse team, President of the Association of Student Athletes (ASA), and President of the Leadership Development Program (LDP).
Dan expressed the importance of getting involved and meeting as many people as possible during college. He also had the opportunity to intern at Highland Group, a Grand Rapids business owned by another Alumnus, Scott Crowley. This internship allowed Dan to see how a business was run from a perspective other than his parents’. He was also elected to be a member of Aquinas College’s Alumni Association Leadership Council (AALC).
Sidney Veneklase
Sidney Veneklase graduated in May 2019 with a dual major in Business Administration and Communication and a minor in Political Science. She transitioned from her role as an intern with the Ancillary team at Steelcase while a student at Aquinas to a full-time position as Communications Specialist. In this role, she manages content for an online application called Marketplace that allows dealers, designers, sales representatives, and customers to save and plan projects using Steelcase’s Ancillary Portfolio.
From her personal experience, Sidney emphasized the importance of pursuing internships early on. She noted that whether paid or unpaid, internships are a valuable tool that allow one to network and can lead to many other great opportunities. From the welcoming instructors to classroom dialogue, Sidney attributes much of her success to her undergraduate experiences at Aquinas. “Aquinas helped me understand what it means to be part of community, how to be a team player, and ways to always act with compassion and generosity. Working at a large company requires openness and eagerness, two characteristics that my undergraduate experience helped shape.” While at Aquinas, she worked at the Aquinas Media Center, which allowed her to connect with the Communications Department for a short internship the summer after her sophomore year.
Find more AQ Business Administration Alumni stories here.
Aquinas College’s Accounting and Auditing Certificate Program
About the Program
The Accounting and Auditing Certificate Program (AACP) provides training for non-CPA professionals in financial accounting, accounting systems, and auditing. Managers, financial analysts, IT professionals, engineers, and others who work with accountants or accounting information will benefit from the program — as will their employing organizations.
Program participants will improve their:
- Understanding of financial statements and ability to analyze organization results
- Skills in identifying and reducing financial risk
- Knowledge of internal and external audit and ability to communicate with audit teams
The AACP is designed with the rigor of an Aquinas College accounting course, with successful completion of the program a notable achievement.
What We Cover
- Accounting and auditing fundamentals
- Financial statement and ratio analysis, accounting for specific balances
- Introduction to accounting systems (link between IT and accounting), system risks, business processes and controls
- Experiential internal and external audit simulation: audit purpose, risk assessment, audit testing, and reporting
More information at: Accounting and Audit Certificate Program
Great article from the MICPA on Aquinas College’s new Accounting and Auditing Certificate Program:
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