SAFA provides more than 30 years of servicing Carlson’s brightest accounting and finance students. With a rich history dating back before the Carlson School had its name, SAFA has many long lasting relationships with the Twin Cities top business recruiters.
Founded in the 1970s, the Student Accounting Association (SAA) began as a way for motivated accounting students to network with future employers. The new student led organization hosted events featuring different accounting related companies from the Twin Cities. With the support of the accounting department and several different key advisors, the SAA flourished.
In the 1980s, leaders of the SAA saw a potential opportunity to expand as it became the Student Accounting and Finance Association (SAFA). Seeking to represent both accounting and finance students, SAFA faced many obstacles as the study of finance was much more graduate focused at the time. Still, with hard work and persistence, SAFA continually built up its base of undergraduate finance students and interested recruiters.
In 1992, several SAFA Executive Board members organized the first annual SAFA golf outing. The event proved to be a great way for students to network with recruiters and business professionals in a fun setting. Little did they know that the SAFA golf outing would become one of SAFA’s most successful and enjoyable events to this day, as SAFA recently hosted its 14th annual golf outing last fall.
Today, SAFA continues to be one of Carlson’s most distinguished student organizations. As our student membership continues to grow, our presence across the Carlson School and its network of corporate partners contributes success. With a renewed commitment from its Executive Board, SAFA will continue to build upon its rich history for many years to come as the Carlson Undergraduate program welcomes the new addition of Hanson Hall.
