2018 Best & Brightest: Audrey Adkins, Texas A&M (Mays)

Audrey Adkins

Texas A&M University, Mays Business School

“A competitive, sports-loving, former sorority president who enjoys accounting, South Asia travels, and coffee.”

Fun fact about yourself: I scored a hat trick in the second to last competitive game of my soccer career. (The playoffs my senior year of high school.)

Hometown: Odessa, Texas

High School: Permian High School

Major: Business Honors and Accounting

Minor: None

Favorite Business Course: Business Leadership (205) & Intermediate Accounting (327)

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

Awards and Honors: Recipient of the 4-year Lechner Scholarship; 3 year recipient of both a Mays Business School Scholarship and an Association of Former Students Scholarship; Nominated & selected to attend PricewaterhouseCooper’s National Elevate conference; 2 year attendee of the Kappa Alpha Theta National Fraternity CEO Leadership Academy

Extracurricular Activities & Leadership: Staff Assistant & Recruitment Committee member for Texas A&M’s The Big Event; Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Executive Officer for Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity; member of the Business Honors program; member of the Professional Program in Accounting; Mays Business Fellows Program Group XXXV; Senior Fellow (Selections Coordinator) for Mays Business Fellows Group XXXVI

Community Work: Annual philanthropy work for local not for profit organizations CASA and Scotty’s House; bi weekly volunteer for Mountain Valley Fellowship; summer camp staff for Roaring Springs Camp & Retreat Center

Where have you interned during your college career?

PricewaterhouseCoopers in Houston, Texas – Assurance Intern

Odessa First Assembly of God in Odessa, Texas – Assisted in weekly ministry activities including worship team, youth group, and administrative activities

Where will you be working after graduation? Undecided

What did you enjoy most about your business school? Mays Business School provides students with opportunities to develop beyond the traditional business context. Many of my classes have emphasized personal values, ethical thinking, and problem solving in new ways; these classes have broadened my perspective and prepared me to be both a successful businessperson and an individual that contributes toward and cares for people and causes in the surrounding community.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? The biggest lesson I gained from studying business was the significance of people; in any business, people at every level matter.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Pursue a field that you find interesting, challenging, and exciting.

“If I didn’t major in business, I would be majoring in or studying…Nursing.”

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? The biggest surprise about majoring in business has been how deeply I enjoy the courses and how many opportunities the business major provides.

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? I pursued business primarily because it provided so many options and opportunities after graduation. However, my grandfather started his own successful business and entrepreneurship was interesting to me partially for that reason.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am most proud of the time I spent as president of my school’s chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta. It was one of the most challenging experiences I’ve had, but it taught me the most about leadership, serving, and working alongside people of all backgrounds and ages.

If you were a dean for a day, what one thing would you change about the business school? I would change the rule that no food or drinks are allowed in any of the Mays Business School classrooms.

Which classmate do you most admire? Grace VanLoh because she is incredibly hardworking and thoughtful; she always goes out of her way to inquire how people are doing and she asks meaningful questions that assure you she cares about knowing you on a personal level.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? Definitely my parents for their unwavering support and encouragement.

What would your theme song be? “Walking on Sunshine” because it’s happy and upbeat.

What are the top two items on your bucket list? Travel to Indonesia to see the floating markets and attending the World Cup

Favorite book: The Problem of Pain

Favorite movie: The Sound of Music

Favorite vacation spot: Colorado

What are your hobbies? Playing intramural soccer; playing guitar and piano; reading and journaling

What made Audrey such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2018?

“It has been a great honor to work with Audrey Adkins over the past three years. In an undergraduate class on leadership, I observed that Audrey was a remarkable student. Every assignment was a masterpiece, and her work on a case team was stellar. Last year, Audrey was a member of the prestigious Mays Fellows Program. Again, she produced quality work and led her team through a series of challenging experiences. This year, as a Senior Fellows in the Mays Fellows Program, Audrey led the complexed selection process. It was here that I saw her come into her own as a leader of colleagues in what proved to be a very challenging and often highly emotional selection process. I am confident that Audrey will continue on her path as an accomplished leader and a world-class colleague. I am equally confident that her future service and contributions will reflect the greatest credit on Texas A&M University.”

John Van Alstyne
LTG, U.S. Army (Retired)
Executive Professor

DON’T MISS: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST BUSINESS MAJORS OF 2018 — THE COMPLETE LIST