Five years ago, Ameet Kumar left his country, Pakistan, to become an exchange student at Shoreline High School in Washington.
Kumar then realized he wanted to come back to the U.S after that experience. He decided to apply to Plattsburgh State with the help of the Global Education Office office in his high school.
“To be honest, the real reason [I decided to choose Plattsburgh] is that they offered a great scholarship,” Kumar said. “When I first came to Plattsburgh, I came with a mindset that I will transfer after my first year.”
However, he changed his mind about PSUC after interacting with the faculty as well as the business program.
“What I like about SUNY Plattsburgh the most is how you pretty much know everyone in the community since it’s so small,” Kumar said. “The people are very easy to connect with, and it’s easy to form a bond with everyone.”
Originally an economic major, he added three more majors: finance, accounting and business administration.
“Since I could do more than 18 credits each semester, I realize that I could add on more majors but still finish school in four years,” Kumar said. “And the business school here allows that.”
Always having a passion for economic fields, Kumar has been studying economics since high school. Kumar tutored economics his freshman year and completed three internships for economics later on.
He already received a job offer after graduation from Deloitte, one of the biggest four accounting firms in the world, as a consultant, in which he said is “his dream career.”
Kumar is excited about the next chapter of his life that involves working for a big company and applying all of the knowledge and experience he learned in consulting.
Beside Kumar’s academic and career achievements, he is also involved in many clubs on campus and has been the head resident assistant for Banks Hall on campus for two years. Kumar used to serve as president of the Accounting and Finance Association and vice president of the C.E.O Club on campus.
“I was taking 21 credits constantly,” he said with a laugh. “So looking back now, I would relax a little.”
Kumar feels thankful for all the extra activities, jobs and internship experience he has because of the lessons he learned from them.
“Every experience taught me something useful,” Kumar said. “I took a lot of extra classes in the business program, which I didn’t need to. That enhanced my skill a lot too.”
Despite always being busy, his hobbies include photography and playing chess with friends to relieve stress.
Kumar is currently taking 23 credits this semester and anticipates graduating next May.
“I used to procrastinate a lot before,” he said. “Through time, I learned not to do that. I start using Google Calendar.”
Kumar always sets his goals for the day by planning out everything he has to do the night before. He makes sure 95 percent of his work is done by the end of the day.
PSUC senior accounting and business administration with two minors in economics and finance Danish Rai went to the same high school with Kumar back in Pakistan. What Rai likes most about Kumar is how caring he is about people around him. “Ameet is very motivated, intellectual [and] smart,” Rai said. “He is very selfless. It could be because of his RA job, but he will be there for everybody who needs help.”
PSUC professor and the chair of the department of accounting, Mohamed Gaber, has known Kumar for three years since the orientation for international students. As a professor and Kumar’s academic advisor, Gaber said Kumar is “one the best students Gaber has ever seen.”
Kumar, in his words, is “intelligent,” “test-oriented” and “very honest.”
Kumar never stops working hard to achieve his dream.
“Don’t leave it on tomorrow,” he said. “Do it today.”
Email Hilly Nguyen at cp@cardinalpointsonline.com
