[nabs-l] Greetings, fellow NABSters.

[Emily Pennington]

Hello, fellow students.
My name is Emily Pennington, and I am a junior Accounting major from Cincinnati, Ohio. Although I do not post frequently to the list -- which I plan on changing -- I have been involved with NABS and the federation for nearly two years. Essentially, I planned on running for secretary. However, if Candice wins the presidency, I would like to run for the open treasurer spot. I have a back-up plan for my back-up plan in that I want to run for board member if Bre Brown wins the secretary position. I know those are a lot of alternatives, but I would love to get more involved in NABS and play a more instrumental role in changes for the upcoming year(s).
Let me begin by giving some more background information on myself. I am beginning my junior year as an Accounting major at Xavier University, a private school located near my home in Cincinnati. I hope to graduate with both my Accounting degree and my MBA in four years, after which I plan on going to law school. After taking the CPA exam and the BAR, I want to get my Master's degree in taxation so I can pursue a career as a tax lawyer. I am really excited about my career plans because they combine my love of the law with my love of numbers.
At school, I am a member of the Accounting Society and Beta Alpha Psi, the latter of which is an Accounting Honors society. I am also in Delta Sigma Pi: a professional fraternity for those in the business school. Aside from those extracurriculars near and dear to my major, I sing in several different choirs on campus, and I serve as Treasurer of my school's chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions. On the federation front, I am Treasurer and Fund-raising Committee Chair of the Ohio Association of Blind Students, which is small but mighty and growing a little with each year. Additionally, I am the Treasurer of the Cincinnati chapter of the NFB. In my spare time, I love to read, travel, make and listen to music, and try exotic foods, to name a few hobbies.
Although I have a good deal of experience as treasurer, I feel that I could bring a lot to the table in whatever position for which I end up running. I am very organized and have a mind and memory for details, which comes in handy in a leadership role in which one juggles a lot of responsibility. I also do my best to communicate quickly and articulately; I check both of my e-mail accounts multiple times a day in order to keep up with and send whatever is necessary. Although I have listed several different leadership experiences from school and the NFB alike, I recognize that I am still learning. Each position I fill is a little different from the others, and even though I learn as I go, I make sure to internalize the knowledge I gain and not repeat mistakes. Lastly, I am an open-minded person who knows how to be both a leader and a team player. I love working with other people, and when issues arise, I consider things from all perspectives. However, if I feel that something is not right, I will make my feelings known -- respectfully but firmly.
I know my involvement in NABS and the federation is still fairly new, and I have a lot to learn. But I am ready to learn all I can as I become more involved and -- hopefully -- take on more leadership roles. I, too, am coming to convention as a scholarship winner, so although I am pretty scheduled, I would love to speak with anybody who has any questions for me or would just like to introduce themselves. After all, I am always interested in meeting new people. Feel free to e-mail me off-list at:
emilypennington at fuse.net
if you have any questions. I appreciate your patience in getting through this long-winded message. Here's to a great convention!

Sincerely,
Emily Pennington