Laura Elnaggar
Major: Wealth Management
Class Year: 2025
Hometown: Ville Platte, Louisiana
Please tell us about your future plans once you graduate from Southern Arkansas University.
After graduating with my bachelor’s in Wealth Management, I hope to take on a full-time position with my internship company, EisnerAmper, and pursue my MBA.
How are your experiences in the Rankin College of Business preparing you for your professional career?
Through my courses I have gained technical knowledge, interview experience, group experience, presentation skills, and critical thinking skills. My extracurriculars have given me experience presentations when there are higher stakes than just a grade and helped me to develop leadership skills.
What specific courses have been your favorite, and why?
My favorite classes have been Retirement Planning and Employee Benefits, Personal Finance, and Principles of Accounting I. Principles of Accounting I was one of the first classes I took in the RCB, and enjoying that class helped to solidify my confidence in my choice of major. The topics discussed in Personal Finance covered all of the entry-level items that first drew my interest to the field of wealth management, and Retirement Planning and Employee Benefits covered topics I was interested in detail.
Have you been involved in any of the RCB’s special programs?
I have been a member of BSAC (Business Student Advisory Council), FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America), and the student investment club. I firmly believe joining FBLA is one of the best academic decisions I’ve made since coming to SAU. I’ve received many opportunities and experiences through competing with the club that I wouldn’t trade away. The student investment club was also an incredibly special experience that gave me insight into different areas I may want to pursue as a career. BSAC has allowed me to become involved with some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of the RCB and handed me the opportunity to give back to the college.
This semester, I am taking part in the MBA 4+1 and in an international travel opportunity to Costa Rica. The ability to take some of my MBA classes as a senior while I still have undergraduate scholarships, as well as enabling me to finish my MBA faster, has been very helpful. I am in the preparation class for the Costa Rica international business experience and am incredibly excited to learn more about the local and business culture of our destination. The international travel programs in the RCB are very generous and provide opportunities that would normally be far out of my reach.
Do you have any favorite memories with Rankin College of Business faculty or fellow students?
My favorite memories with fellow RCB students are of sharing a room for the FBLA national competitions. The energy in the room as we all rehearsed our presentations and hyped each other up was wonderful.
What advice would you offer to a new student beginning their course of study at the Rankin College of Business?
My advice to a new RCB student would be to get involved. This means both in organizations like FBLA and in the classroom. Developing a reputation in the classroom as an engaged student helps you to stand out to your faculty, which may lead to more opportunities later. The student organizations available all give valuable experience to their members that anyone can benefit from, and the events they host make good memories.
