Students recognized for outstanding academic achievement

Earning a degree from ECU’s College of Business is an accomplishment. But earning that degree while being considered one of the top of your class is another thing. Those high-achieving COB undergraduate and graduate students were honored with induction into the Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) Honor Society on Nov. 12.

“It feels pretty good,” said accounting senior Kayden See. “Seeing people here that I see in my degree program, like faculty members as well as staff members … is pretty comforting to realize that they also see and care about the amount of effort that you put in and the work that you are doing.”

Beta Gamma Sigma is considered by many to be the premier honor society for business schools. Only the top 10% of the undergraduate class and the top 20% of the graduate class are given the opportunity to be inducted. For Rebecca Cooper, a non-traditional Master of Business Administration student, this honor shows that her extra efforts have not gone unnoticed.

“When I graduated from ECU, my undergrad … on my hat I put, ‘I almost gave up, but then I remembered who was watching,’” Cooper said.

Cooper is a mother of five and homeschools her children. She will graduate with her MBA in May 2026 while earning top marks.

“Stressful, but worth it,” Cooper said. “Setting the example for my kids – and they could be here, so it was exciting.”

“I’m just proud of her,” said Thomas Cooper, Rebecca’s husband. “She has done everything like around the house, taking care of [the children] … just the amount of stuff that she takes on, and to be able to do it all, it’s amazing.”

Having 54 COB students get inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma is especially gratifying for ECU Leadership & Professional Development teaching instructor Chip Galusha. Not only is he the president of ECU’s BGS chapter, but he was inducted as a member during his graduate education here at ECU.

“It’s fun. It’s the turn of the wheel … It’s nice to recognize the students the way that I got recognized when I was coming up,” Galusha said. “This is really a big deal because it honors the best of the best students.” The evening’s guest speaker was fellow BGS member and two-time COB graduate Katie Rowland ’24, ’25. She is now a procurement analyst with One Source in Greenville. Her quick rise showed the new inductees that they, too, can be on the same path to success.