Name: Patrick Douglas
Class Year: Junior
Major: Accounting C.P.A.
Patrick Douglas (’15) is currently the Comptroller of the SU Student Association. This position allows him to have control over the distrobution of the 4 million dollar student activity fund to the registered student organizations on campus. The student organizations then use this money to hold events on campus like concerts (Mayfest/Juice Jam), parties, speaker events, community service events, and banquets. Some of the funding also goes toward the operating budgets of WERW radio station, Student Legal Services, and Citrus TV.
Patrick tells us that his inspiration comes from his mother, Ethlyn White-Douglas. He said, “She has sacrificed so much to get me to this point in my life, and I just want to continue to make her proud.”
In his spare time, Patrick likes to play soccer. “The club team I played for in high school was one of the best teams in the country, and I had opportunities to play Division I soccer in college but turned down those schools to attend SU and focus on academics.”
Read on to learn more about Patrick!
Are you ever overwhelmed by the responsibility that comes along with the comptroller position?
I would not say that I am overwhelmed, but the position does require a lot of time, and mental fortitude. Every day I have numerous emails to respond to, and even on my way to classes I get stopped to answer budget questions. I just had to realize that this position is about more than just me, it’s about the 14,000+ students that attend SU and expect to see their student activity fee put to good use.
If you were giving advice to a younger student who was interested in this position, what would you tell them?
I would tell them to join the Student Association Finance Board to get a feel for how the allocation process for what the student activity is.
What other organizations are you involved in on campus? And what is the best part of being involved with them?
I am a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc, Theta Xi Chapter. I would say that the best part of being a member is the relationships that I have developed with undergraduate and alumni brothers that have come through the Theta Xi chapter. We are really a big family, and all push each other to be the best we can.
If you had all of the time in the world, what other major(s) or fields would you be interested in studying?
If I had more time, I would pursue law because it is so intricate and always evolving. The only down side is all the reading of pointless documents that it requires… I am NOT a fan of that part at all. If not law I would study something like psychology or something that delves deeply into the way humans think and operate.
My wild, out of this world dream job is: to be the CFO of a fortune 250 company!
A more realistic dream job is: to be a partner at one of the Big Four Accounting Firms