Finding Community, Building Careers: Questrom Students Take ALPFA to Charlotte

For students in Boston University’s ALPFA chapter, this summer’s ALPFA Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, was more than a week of panels, career fairs, and networking. It was an opportunity to see themselves represented in the business world, connect with Latino professionals across industries, and put their Questrom education into practice.

A group of BU students attended the national convention, which brought together thousands of students and professionals from across the country. The convention featured more than 85 companies and approximately 1,700 interviews, giving students the chance to explore career paths, build professional relationships and connect with organizations actively seeking Latino talent. For Questrom students, the experience was made possible in part through funding support from the Undergraduate Development Center (UDC) at the Questrom School of Business.

ALPFA—the Association of Latino Professionals for America—is a national organization focused on developing Latino leaders and creating opportunities for professional growth, mentorship and networking. Founded in 1972, ALPFA now connects more than 100,000 students and professionals through a network of chapters and programs. Its annual convention is one of the organization’s largest gatherings, bringing together students, professionals and corporate partners for professional development, networking and career opportunities. For the students from BU, however, the most meaningful part of the convention was often what happened between the scheduled events.

Seeing Yourself in the Room

For many Questrom students, being surrounded by thousands of Latino students and professionals created a powerful sense of belonging and an opportunity to see their identities reflected across the business community.

Sophomore Ella Flores, Questrom Class of 2029, said the experience immediately felt different. “You’re in a room just filled with Latinos, and it’s crazy that you can just be in the room talking about anything about your culture, and everyone in the room will just understand.” That representation also made Flores more comfortable approaching Latino professionals. During the convention, she found herself having conversations she might have been more hesitant to initiate in other professional settings.

For junior Kimberly Ortega, Questrom Class of 2028, seeing Latino representation within major companies provided another kind of reassurance.

“Being at the convention made me feel more reassured and gave me hope that us Latinos can thrive in this workforce.”

Ortega said that seeing Latino professionals representing major organizations, including Big Four firms, reinforced the idea that companies were looking for Latino talent and were willing to invest in it.

Setting seniority aside, the feeling of belonging was particularly meaningful for senior Christopher Cristano, Questrom Class of 2027, who described being a Hispanic student pursuing finance as an experience that can sometimes amplify imposter syndrome. At the convention, that feeling changed. During the opening ceremony, students were encouraged to look around the room and recognize the thousands of people who shared similar experiences. “The sense of belonging they cultivated didn’t just make me proud of my heritage—it sparked an inspiration I continue to carry,” Cristano said.

Making the Opportunity Possible

For many students, attending a national conference can come with a significant financial barrier. Airfare, accommodations, registration and everyday expenses can quickly make an opportunity like this difficult to pursue. That is where Questrom’s UDC support played a critical role.

Flores said she initially hesitated to ask about financial assistance because she assumed the trip would be too expensive. With airfare alone costing hundreds of dollars, she worried that finances would prevent her from attending. “I wouldn’t have gone on this trip if it wasn’t for their help,” Flores said.

“I’m happy Questrom is helping support students and break down these barriers.”

Ortega similarly described the support as “a weight off our shoulders,” noting that the trip could have cost students around $1,000. “It felt like they believed in us and wanted us to grow,” she said.

For Cristano, the funding also helped transform the scale of BU’s participation. The previous year, only three students from the chapter attended the convention. This year, after that first experience, approximately 10 students wanted to make the trip.

Cristano reached out to the UDC, where Dante Barton and Dean Reiser helped guide the chapter through the funding process. The support ultimately covered airfare through reimbursement and helped secure accommodations for the group. “Instead of spending the summer worrying about whether we could afford to go, we were able to focus on the convention itself and bring more than three times as many students with us,” Cristano said.

From the Classroom to the Career Fair

The convention also gave students an opportunity to put their Questrom education into practice.

Flores found herself drawing on skills from ES110, resume-building resources and conversations with classmates as she prepared for networking and recruiting opportunities. Rather than relying solely on formal career-fair conversations, she found that some of her most valuable interactions happened after panels, when she could speak more casually with professionals about their experiences.

Ortega saw a similar connection between her coursework and conversations with recruiters. “I just finished CORE last semester, and when talking to professionals, they loved that I took CORE,” she said.

Cristano described the convention as an extension of what students learn in the classroom. “In class, you learn frameworks for reading a company and understanding how an industry operates. In Charlotte, I was applying those frameworks in real time.”

The experience also reinforced the value of Questrom’s Feld Center, which regularly provides students with speaker panels, networking opportunities and recruiting events. For Cristano, the convention demonstrated how classroom concepts can translate into actual conversations with professionals. “It’s one thing to analyze a firm for a case assignment and another to speak with someone who works there and hold your own.”

Unexpected Conversations, New Possibilities

Some of the most memorable moments came from conversations students never planned to have.

Flores arrived at the convention without much interest in finance and had not expected to encounter JPMorgan opportunities that would appeal to her. But after noticing a representative standing alone, she decided to introduce herself.

The conversation changed her perspective. The professional she met had experience working in both government and banking, areas that connected with Flores’ interest in political science. The interaction helped her realize that a career in finance could encompass far more possibilities than she had initially imagined. “It changed my view on it because I realized there’s so much more I can do than I believed,” Flores said.

Ortega had a similarly unexpected interaction. While sitting in a cafeteria area, she noticed a professional wearing an Ecuadorian flag on his shirt—something that immediately caught her attention as an Ecuadorian herself. She approached him for what she expected to be a brief conversation. The professional, an EY partner, eventually shared advice about her future, including the possibility of living and building a career in a major city. For Ortega, the conversation demonstrated how simply taking the initiative can open unexpected doors.

Cristano’s most meaningful interaction happened while waiting in line for a private reception. He began talking with another Mexican professional from New York and learned about her unconventional career path: after studying marketing and working in the field, she eventually transitioned into operations. Her story challenged Cristano’s belief that students need to have their entire careers figured out by graduation. “A career isn’t a straight line you commit to at 20 and follow forever,” he said. “It’s something you build as you go.”

The Advice: Just Show Up

If the students took one lesson away from the convention, it was the importance of asking, reaching out and showing up—even when you don’t feel completely ready.

For Flores, that meant asking the UDC for support. “You don’t lose anything from just asking.”

Ortega put it even more simply: “Close mouths don’t get fed.”

She encouraged students to reach out to organizations, peers and professionals, and then pass what they learn on to others.

Cristano’s advice was similar: take the first step, even when a networking event or career fair feels intimidating.

“You will never feel fully ready,” he said. “Keep showing up, because becoming a familiar face is often what turns a resource into a relationship.”

That mindset reflects what ALPFA aims to foster through its student chapters: opportunities for students to develop professional skills, build community, and prepare for their careers.

For the BU students who traveled to Charlotte, the convention ultimately became more than a career-development opportunity. It was a reminder that professional success and cultural identity do not have to exist separately—and that sometimes, finding your place in the business world begins simply by seeing people like yourself already there.

As Cristano recalled from the convention, when students feel alone or uncertain, they can remember the room they stood in together.

“You are never the only one who feels this way.”

Written By: Leslie Garcia