IMA^® (Institute of Management Accountants) student members looking to build their leadership skills are invited to apply for a great opportunity: the IMA Student Ambassador Program.

IMA Student Ambassadors are select accounting or finance majors who are committed to helping build awareness of IMA and the CMA^® (Certified Management Accountant) program on campus.

Student Ambassadors engage their campus communities in three primary ways:

1. Organize events/meetings to raise awareness of IMA and the CMA 
2. Share content about IMA and the CMA on social media
3. Participate in community discussions on the myIMA Network platform

The above are just basic guidelines, however. Ambassadors are encouraged to be entrepreneurial and innovative as well, looking for ways to add their own personal touch to the process.

Rayne Rigsby was a Student Ambassador on the campus of Clayton State University from fall 2020 through spring 2021. Speaking about the value of the experience, Rayne said, “It pushed me out of my comfort zone. And although that was challenging at first, IMA didn’t ask me to do it without providing support.” Rayne noted that IMA offered resources and everything she needed to spread the word about IMA and the CMA with students on her campus.

The pandemic certainly played a factor in Rayne’s ability to organize events. The shift from in-person to a virtual format actually ended up being a positive, however, as many students were able to attend virtual events that might not have been otherwise been able to in an in-person format. That goes for the speakers as well. The virtual format allowed her to arrange for students to hear about the benefits of IMA and the CMA from Bernice Jenkins, CMA, CPA, senior accountant at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama and IMA Global Board member, who also shared her inspiring personal story.

“Being an ambassador definitely helped increase my leadership, organizational, and interpersonal skills. It also taught me perseverance,” Rayne recalls. One of the most satisfying things she experienced from the role, in fact, was seeing fellow students attend IMA events. She also got to meet some new friends on campus, too.

In addition to the valuable leadership and “resume building” experience they gain, students who serve as ambassadors enjoy free IMA Student membership. For Rayne, the work that she did to promote the CMA on campus also inspired her to pursue the certification herself. She’s preparing for the exam right now, in fact, and plans to take Part 1 in May 2022 and Part 2 in September 2022. 

IMA is always look for new students to join the program. For more information, visit the Student Ambassador Program page. Interested students can also contact Mary Patterson, IMA business development manager, at mary.patterson@imanet.org.