Accounting grad shares how Binghamton University shaped her for success

Laman Mirzaliyeva ’23 was not only named one of the School of Management’s Seniors of the Year for 2023, but she also made this year’s Best and Brightest Business Majors list published by Poets & Quants, a top publication for business education news.

As she prepared to graduate with a degree in accounting and a concentration in management information systems, she shared some of her favorite experiences as a Binghamton University student and reflected on how SOM prepared her for a successful career.

Q: Why did you choose SOM?

A: When choosing a college for my undergraduate studies, SOM was always at the top of my list because of the wide range of business tracks offered to students, the variety of student organizations and the outstanding accounting program that’s ranked among the best in the nation.

Since I was not entirely sure which business degree I wanted to pursue, knowing SOM offered multiple business concentrations and student organizations to try was very important to me.

Q: What was your favorite class?

A: My favorite class was auditing, an accounting course taught by Assistant Professor Alfred Yebba that I took in the spring of my senior year. I enjoyed getting to learn about the theory and practice of auditing and relating the concepts covered in class to my previous internships. My favorite part was analyzing various cases of audit failures including the scandals with Enron, Madoff Securities and Boeing.

Q: Who was your favorite professor and why?

A: My favorite professor was Associate Dean George Bobinski. Not only was he my Introduction to Decision Making in Management professor, but he also served as the instructor of my PWC Scholars Community Project course.

Since my first class with him, I could tell he genuinely cared about his students and the SOM community as a whole. He always challenged us to think outside the box and motivated us to look at things from different perspectives. He provided continuous support and guidance to the management consulting group student organization that I was a part of by helping us develop and execute case competitions for hundreds of students. I am extremely grateful for everything I learned from him.

Q: How did your SOM experience shape your professional goals?

A: Coming into SOM, I was unaware of how many opportunities are available to business majors and just how much one can do with a business degree. After participating in multiple case competitions and projects, I developed a passion for technology, which was something I never thought I would be interested in.

Those hands-on experiences helped me build strong technical skills, experiment with various software platforms and land a data analytics job at Deloitte.

Q: What makes you proud to be part of SOM?

A: I feel proud and thankful to be a part of SOM because of how tight-knit and supportive our community is. When I first started, it surprised me how many alumni visited campus to share their professional experiences with students. I have since realized that giving back and supporting each other is an integral part of the SOM culture.

Being surrounded by people who want to see you succeed and motivate you to achieve your goals is truly an amazing feeling. From professors to peers, to career advisors and everyone in between, I have always felt personally supported and encouraged. SOM has played a tremendous role in both my personal and professional development, helping me achieve my full potential.