“Be a student first and everything else after,” is the best advice Jessica Constant, junior, has ever received and is a guideline she uses to keep her focus. Constant is a double major in Business Management and Economics. She is also president of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) Inc. – Stony Brook University Student Chapter, and the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) Student Association. After Stony Brook, she intends to get her master’s degree in accounting, become a CPA and eventually teach accounting at a university.
Juggling two majors as well as two organizations, her education is always the top priority. However, having an active role in campus life is important to her also. “Taking leadership roles is very important to me. It allows me to not only implement new ideas but also gives me a chance to meet other students and work on my soft skills like public speaking,” said Constant.
Constant demonstrates her desire to take on leadership roles in the groups she runs. NABA is an organization dedicated to minorities entering the fields of accounting, finance, economics or other business. She has been president of NABA since April 2006. This group, in an effort with the Career Center, will be sponsoring a Business Etiquette dinner on Feb. 27. In March, the group will be a hosting an event called “Women in Corporate America.” Constant would like the group to become more visible and prominent on campus. Anyone interested in joining NABA can contact Constant at the group’s email address, [email protected].
More recently, Constant became president of EOP in Aug. 2006. This group, which is the student branch of the Equal Opportunity Program, is open only to EOP students. The group will have a pageant this semester called “Rep Ya Borough” which will raise money for the James A. Nobles Memorial Scholarship. Constant believes advocacy will be the focus of EOP this semester, “We are advocating for current EOP students as well as high school students that may be admitted into the program.”
Constant views participation in campus activities as a vital part of the college experience. She believes the best thing about Stony Brook University is the campus clubs. “There are so many clubs and organization and if there is one in particular that you are interested in and it doesn’t exist on campus you can always start one.”
Beyond campus, Constant likes to spend time with her family and friends in her hometown of Brooklyn. Constant sees her mother as one of many strong personal influences, “She has instilled in me the importance of education and has helped develop my strength, courage and wisdom to accomplish all things.” Constant is also passionate about singing, an interest she has had since she was 5 years old.
Constant keeps everything focused on her goals. All of her extracurricular activities take a backseat to her studies to become an accountant. She said, “if there is something that is going to hinder me from being the best student I can possibly be, I don’t need it.”