{"id":21859,"date":"2025-05-03T14:02:52","date_gmt":"2025-05-03T18:02:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/?p=21859"},"modified":"2025-05-06T00:24:31","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T04:24:31","slug":"class-of-25-accounting-grad-discovers-holistic-approach-to-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/2025\/05\/03\/class-of-25-accounting-grad-discovers-holistic-approach-to-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Class of \u201925: Accounting grad discovers holistic approach to business"},"content":{"rendered":"

Each year, University of Detroit Mercy\u2019s Marketing & Communications department profiles members of the graduating classes. Students chosen were nominated by staff and faculty for their contributions to the life of the University.\u202f Click here<\/a> \u202ffor more information about 2025\u00a0Commencement exercises.<\/em><\/p>\n

For Mark Formosa, UDM \u201cawakened\u201d him to the power of faith-guided decision-making.<\/p>\n

\"MarkGrowing up in Grosse Ile in a family rich in Maltese ideals, Formosa\u2019s values were formed early on, particularly the importance of strong family and community bonds. These core values blossomed at UDM, where he found a tight-knit environment that supported his personal and intellectual development.<\/p>\n

\u201cI chose Detroit Mercy because I instantly felt a sense of community,\u201d said Formosa, who will complete his MBA next year through the University\u2019s accelerated BS\/MBA program. \u201cI knew I wouldn\u2019t be just another face in the crowd as I might at other institutions. I believed I could make a palpable difference at UDM.\u201d<\/p>\n

Formosa embarked on the road to self-growth by first enrolling in the University Honors Program. This program challenged him to explore deeper academic experiences and purposeful campus and community involvement.<\/p>\n

\"MarkHe made his mark at UDM by serving as president of the Student Government Association, and as a sophomore, he was elected president of the College of Business Administration\u2019s Student Advisory Board (SAB). He also joined two distinguished honor societies: Alpha Sigma Nu, the Jesuit honor society, and Beta Gamma Sigma, the national business honor society.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy high school experience in a small class setting taught me to build meaningful relationships and to take initiative in group settings,\u201d he said. \u201cAt Detroit Mercy, I was able to put my interpersonal skills to work, and I never hesitated to step up when an opportunity presented itself.\u201d<\/p>\n

When he came across a floundering SAB at a time when the University was still managing the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Formosa stepped up.<\/p>\n

The SAB is a student-led organization within the CBA where students are provided a forum to connect about matters that affect the quality and nature of their education.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I entered UDM in the fall of 2021, student morale and engagement in the SAB was low,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

With the help of alumni and fellow students, Formosa spearheaded a rescue campaign to revive the group, helping it grow to 20 to 30 active members under his leadership. Today, it sits at about 60 members and was the recipient of the 2024 Detroit Mercy Student Organization of the Year award.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo other student organization has meant more to me,\u201d Formosa said.<\/p>\n

\"MarkFormosa said he chose Accounting as a major because he believed \u201cAccounting is the language of business,\u201d but his education at UDM was more than learning to prepare balance sheets and cash flow statements. Through courses in ethics, decision making, economics and organizational design, he saw the bigger picture.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany of my business classes focused on making ethical decisions to help businesses and society,\u201d he said. \u201cWhile revenue is an obvious driver for businesses, at Detroit Mercy, I learned that it is only a small part of what makes a business successful.\u201d<\/p>\n

At UDM, students put their education to work in service of others, a part of the University mission that was key in shaping Formosa\u2019s holistic approach to business. Guided by mentors like Director of Community Engaged Learning Tim\u202fHipskind, S.J., and lecturer in Economics Joseph Weglarz, he sought \u201cGod\u2019s perspective\u201d and began to ask the deeper questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan a business share its success with employees and consumers? Does it use profits to help those in need? Does it make decisions that protect people\u2019s health?\u201d he said, listing some of the questions he often posed to himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cService helped me realize that education is a privilege that not only expands the student\u2019s mind, but allows us to better the lives of others as well,\u201d he reflected. Enriching the lives of others is something he hopes to do with his MBA.<\/p>\n

Formosa still has more to do at UDM. In 2026, he will complete his final year in the accelerated MBA program while continuing to work for Plastipak, where he has developed key skills through internships as an undergrad. He is also preparing for the CPA exam and considering a future in public service, perhaps even running for local or city council positions.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy experience at UDM was eye-opening, and I want to help people in all the ways I can,\u201d he said. \u201cWe will see where God takes me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 By Julie Erwin.\u00a0Follow Detroit Mercy on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0LinkedIn<\/a>,\u00a0X<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>. Have a story idea? Let us know by\u00a0submitting your idea<\/a>.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mark Formosa ’25 felt an instant sense of community and that he could make a difference at Detroit Mercy. The Accounting graduate became heavily involved in many aspects of the University, built meaningful relationships and prepared himself for the next steps.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":224,"featured_media":21852,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[6,4404],"tags":[6853,2193,130,6393,2195,1009,5415,1070,1585],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/106\/2025\/05\/formosa_side1.jpg?fit=350%2C244&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbwnTV-5Gz","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21859"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/224"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21859"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21859\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21861,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21859\/revisions\/21861"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21852"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21859"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21859"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/campusconnection\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21859"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}