Money moves the world.
This is Akram Eisa’s guiding philosophy as a student in the Binghamton University School of Management. Wherever the money is going, he believes, that’s where you’ll find change within the world.
“I’ve always had that entrepreneurial mindset; I’ve always wanted to be in business, create generational wealth and find a way to use it to help people,” said Eisa, a business administration major pursuing a career in finance. “Studying business in school seemed like the best avenue to accomplish my dreams.”
Eisa loves exploring strategic ways to weave his growing financial expertise with technology, whether it’s delving into the intricacies of revenue cycle operations and tracking more than $2 million in accounts receivable at United Health Services in Binghamton, or operating an e-commerce store that generated more than $20,000 in sales. He’s even taken on a leadership role through the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA).
One of the key lessons he’s picked up along the way is that finance and strategy can shape more than just day-to-day business decisions.
“Finance is almost as important as your health, because when we’re going through life, we take out loans for college, a house or a car. You need to understand that how you go about it will definitely have a drastic impact on your life,” Eisa said. “Having that awareness of what you’re getting yourself into when you open a credit card or get a loan will help you figure out how to go about that the correct way.”
During a summer internship, Eisa worked alongside the UHS billing department to investigate insurance claims to determine why they weren’t being approved and whether his team could resolve the issue.
Eisa never appreciated the stigma that finance is just “crunching numbers,” but he also never envisioned how business operations could be so pivotal in a healthcare setting. His experience provided a new perspective on how financial work behind the scenes could still have a significant impact on people’s lives.
“Working in healthcare, you actually bring tangible help to people who are in dire need. They need their bills to be covered by the insurance, and you can help with that. They need to find any way that the hospital can lower its expenses so they can provide more funding to assist patients who can’t cover their own expenses,” Eisa said. “Providing new ways to just make the systems better and more efficient makes you see how your work can actually have a tangible benefit to your community.”
On campus, Eisa is using his skills to help himself and his fellow students expand their professional connections. As the programming director for NABA at Binghamton University, he launched the Builder Series, a speaker initiative connecting students with leaders from across the business world.
He drew on his existing network of contacts, including a colleague who launched his own startup, and solicited interest from on-campus recruiters at top accounting firms to bring in employees from their companies who were interested in sharing their career journeys.
You never know where those contacts are going to come from, either, Eisa added. He secured his UHS internship because their recruiter had previously assisted with his resume while he was at SUNY Broome Community College. They recognized each other during a Career Week event after Eisa transferred to Binghamton University, and that helped him get his foot in the door.
Most college students might not have a pool of networking contacts to draw upon, but as a School of Management student, Eisa was well-equipped to know where to look and recognize opportunities. He credits the school’s Career Services team with helping make that possible.
“Providing us with so many great networking opportunities is what makes the School of Management so golden. I believe that in this economy and when you’re dealing with people that have already been in the industry for so long, you have to do something that stands out,” Eisa said. “Networking is probably the most effective way to stand out when it comes to dealing with this kind of competition, and the fact that Binghamton recognizes that and has it woven so well into the student experience is a huge advantage.”
After listening to others working in business and reflecting on his own path, Eisa has recognized the value of setting a personal “flag post,” a goal to reach, no matter how uncertain your path might seem at any given time.
Maybe you end up in that goal or maybe go past that goal, he said, but at least you’re always heading in the right direction.