“In all things, aim to be, rather than to seem,” is what the biography of Corban Bell reads on his Instagram profile. Bell, a 22-year-old economics and accounting major from Manteca, Calif., has proven himself to be a student-leader on and off the campus of Grambling State University.
The California native has served as President of National Association of Black Accountants (NABA), a member of Phi Beta Lambda, Sigma Alpha Pi, Pre-Alumni Council, Resident Assistant, and student ambassador for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and is currently serving as chief of staff for the Student Government Association.
Bell contributes his passion to learn and taking the initiative to leap at opportunities when they are shown.
“I consciously made the decision to get more involved on campus as I thought it would enhance my learning experience and my college experience,” said Bell.
He added that being over 1,000 miles away from home and attending an HBCU as allowed him to live outside the restricted walls he grew up in as a child.
“I was able to really define who I was and where I wanted to go in life and make choices for myself,” said Bell. “Getting the independence and getting in the right circles allowed me to make a lot of very important changes in my life.”
Because of NABA and the internship program Inroads, Bell has interned at Klyveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG), one of the top four accounting firms in the nation for the past three summers.
Through this internship, he has been offered and will take a permanent position within the accounting firms auditing department, which is set to begin after the 2013 May commencement ceremony. He was also featured in the firms magazine, where he advised students to begin to intern at any entity within their area of focus as soon as possible.
Currently, Bell holds a 3.68 grade point average, and says that the possibility and opportunities is what allows him to get up every morning.
“I’ve seen better. I’ve see what’s possible,” Bell said. “Each day I wake up and I look around and I say I’m not there yet, so I can’t stop moving.”