Page 3 - Illinois Sig - Spring 2016

Peter PanosChapter Spotlight:
What led you to join Sigma Chi?
One of the main reasons I chose to
join Sigma Chi was because of the initial from the bubble of a college campus and
feeling I had when I came to all the rush see what it is like in the real world. I also
events. The brothers in the house made
it evident that rush was something they
enjoyed to do rather than looking at it
as a chore. When I would bring up the
possibility of exploring other options
and houses on campus, the members of
Sigma Chi all had a really great attitude
about letting me explore my options,
giving me the opportunity to make the
best decision for myself.
When did you discover a passion
for accounting?
Growing up I was always
interested in understanding
the core concepts of
business inside and out.
My family members are all
involved in business and
I have always had an itch
to learn more about how a
business works and what
goes on behind the scenes.
As soon as I started taking
my accounting classes here
and began to understand
the “language” of the
profession I knew I needed
to learn more. I look
forward to continuing to
expand upon my knowledge
within this particular field
to become the best possible
businessman I can be in the
future.
What did you enjoy
about your internship
with Busey Bank?
I would have to say
what I really enjoyed most
Editor’s Note: Representing the chapter as
Spotlight is Sophomore Peter Panos. From
the hometown of Munster, IN, Peter is working
toward a degree in accounting at Illinois and
would like to earn his CPA. He has served
the chapter as Assistant Magister, and is the
current Risk Manager. On campus, Peter is
a member and new member educator of Phi
Gamma Nu, a business fraternity. He is also
a member of Illinois Business Consulting on
campus. Last summer, he worked at Busey
Bank as a Wealth Management intern.
Recently retired from Club Soccer after a
back injury, he gives his free time to Habitat
for Humanity. For fun, Peter enjoys running,
playing racquetball, and discovering new
music and movies.
from my internship was being able to
meet other working professionals. It was
a great experience to be able to get away
really benefitted from being able to ask
anyone I worked with almost about any
question I could ever have, which lead to
the advancement of my business acumen
and my understanding of the financial
world as well.
How did you become involved
with Habitat for Humanity?
One event I always make sure to sign
up for within my professional business
Peter with his spring 2015 pledge class brothers.
(Pictured left to right) Peter with his pledge brothers
Michael Heiser and Kevin Palmer at a brotherhood event.
fraternity, Phi Gamma Nu, is whenever
we go volunteer at Habitat for Humanity.
Our organization often invests time into
volunteering for this organization, and due
to this we were given an opportunity to go
down the Vero Beach, Florida
this past spring break to
participate in building a home
and help out around one of the
largest Habitat for Humanity
Restore warehouses in the
country. When down there,
we stayed in one of the
Habitat built homes, which
really allowed for a well-
rounded experience.
After this semester
wraps up, how will you
spend your summer?
This summer I plan on
staying in Champaign, IL to
take a few classes online and
work for my uncle. This will
help me get ahead with some
of my general education
requirements and get some
more experience under
my belt. Outside of this, I
look forward to attending
a couple of concerts and
being able to go home for a
few weeks and spend time
with my family.
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