Leadership can take you places, and for accounting student LaDarrion Grant, some of those places have included Houston, Las Vegas and New Orleans.

The Jackson senior was the only Mississippi student selected for the AICPA Accounting Leadership Scholars Workshop last year. The AICPA – American Institute of CPAs – invited about 100 students from around the country to Houston for a three-day event in which they heard from professionals representing various areas of accounting.

“[ASAC Business Manager] Michelle Bricka told me about the workshop and suggested I apply,” says Grant. “I wrote an essay, and [AICPA] looked at my resume, GPA, involvement and recommendations from professors.”

Two workshop participants were then chosen to attend the organization’s Engage conference in Las Vegas, held for practitioners, and Grant was one of them.

“I got to observe and hear from leaders in the profession, and to network with them,” he remarks.

Grant is President of his fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha, and works in the Adkerson School of Accountancy office. He is an MSU Freshman Navigator, responsible for checking up on 150 freshmen to help them succeed by encouraging them to attend class, finding them tutoring if needed and offering general guidance. He also serves as Director of Training for MSU Admissions’ S.P.A.R.K. – Students Paving A Road to Knowledge – summer leadership conference for rising high school seniors.

Grant’s impressive record more recently led to his selection for the HORNE Leadership Conference in New Orleans in May. The Jackson, MS-based firm held interviews and invited 24 students from around the state for a two-day event during which they developed more accounting knowledge, received advice on setting themselves apart and learned about HORNE. After the conference, Grant received an internship offer from the firm.

Grant has been awarded an AICPA Legacy Scholarship, which not only provides funds toward his senior year tuition but also includes a program providing experience and development of skills such as communication, leadership and networking. He has also received ASAC’s Jackson/Crumpton Scholarship for the coming year. He is appreciative of the doors that have opened through Mississippi State.

“No matter where you go, there are opportunities and resources,” Grant observes. “You just have to find them and work at them.”