By Stella Connell
UM School of Business Administration

The University of Mississippi School of Business Administration recognized its student leaders set to graduate in May at an inaugural luncheon April 9 at the Paul B. Johnson Sr. Commons.

Some 80 students, faculty and staff were on hand for the event, which recognized business students who have served as club officers or student ambassadors for the 2023-24 academic year.

“The demand for innovative and inspirational leaders in the business world is rising,” said Meg Barnes, instructor of management, director of career preparation services for the school and adviser to the Women in Business club. “We are proud to support our students in their pursuit of becoming inspiring leaders of tomorrow.”

Danielle Ammeter, Barnes, Sumali Conlon, Charles Hilterbrand, Tong Meng, Maurie Morris and Kim Phillips, all in attendance at the luncheon, each serve as advisers to one of the school’s 11 clubs or organizations.

John Cooper from Atlanta, outgoing president of the student real estate society, and Jackson Erminio, outgoing vice president of the entrepreneurship club, received recognition for their leadership over the past year.

Cindy Maupin, assistant professor of management, served as the keynote speaker and delivered a message on the four components of transformational leadership: individualized consideration, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and idealized influence.

“By thinking of each person you interact with as an individual with their own strengths and opportunities for improvement, you can cater your leadership style to help each person uniquely in reaching their goals,” Maupin said. “By creating high standards and helping your followers to understand why those standards are important, you can help them to achieve success that is even greater than they thought possible.

“If you set high standards for your followers, they need to see that you also strive for those standards.”

The school’s student ambassadors are selected by the president and vice president of the organization. They assist the school in recruiting high school and transfer students.

Kim Phillips serves as the group’s adviser.

“We are very fortunate to have a group of impressive, articulate business students that help us with the recruiting of prospective students and help us host events for alumni and friends of the university,” Phillips said. “They are able to effectively communicate what it’s like to be a current business student and give their perspective on getting involved on campus, what it is like in the classroom and give helpful advice to prospective students.

“They are all very approachable and have honed their presentation and networking skills; it has been incredibly fun to watch them participate in all our events.”

Ambassadors recognized were Lauren Bender, a risk management and insurance major from Nashville; Tanner Broyles, a finance major from Siloam Springs, Arkansas; Jane Campbell, a finance and accounting major from Monroe, Louisiana; Joy Faith Jennings, a finance and management major from Hattiesburg; Khloe Jones, a management major from Oxford; Case Kempthorne a management major from Jackson; Erin McNary, a general business major from St. Louis; Finley Rock, a general business major from Rockford, Illinois; Breyanna Satcher, a management major from Laurel; Eric Thieret, a marketing and communication strategy major from St. Louis; Reed White, a management information systems major from Madison; and John Dylan Wilcher, a management major from Jackson.