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Ben Garner, an accounting major from Marietta, Georgia, graduating with a stellar academic record and a long trail of student leadership experience, is the Harbert College of Business 2026 summer graduation marshal.
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Ben Garner, Harbert 2026 summer graduation marshal |
Each Auburn University academic college selects one outstanding student to represent it, and as such, Garner will lead his Harbert class into the summer commencement ceremony on Aug. 8.
“It means the world to me, as I have lots of love for Auburn and especially for the accounting department and their support of me. I'm excited to represent them and the College of Business,” Garner said.
Garner, fresh off an internship with Deloitte, is planning to begin work later in August on his graduate degree with the Master of Accountancy program at Harbert.
“Beyond my personal feeling of familiarity with the subject itself, I saw accounting as a great way to start a career and thought that should I choose later in my life to pivot to something different in the financial sector, accounting skills will still serve me well,” he said.
He enjoys auditing and working with data analytics, and he praises the opportunities Harbert provides outside the classroom.
“Lessons I found beneficial are those of integrating yourself into your community and school work. When I was in high school, I didn't have much connection to the school itself beyond my academics, but when I got to Auburn, I pretty much threw myself into the community,” he said.
Garner also played an important leadership role in Beta Alpha Psi’s Consulting & Advisory Practicum, which enables students to work on consulting projects for organizations in the Auburn community.
“I was in the accounting academic fraternity of Beta Alpha Psi and wanted to get more involved in the advisory/consulting business, so I thought the [Consulting & Advisory Practicum] club would be a good opportunity to immerse myself more in that sector,” he said. “I think the club is wonderful in the way it prepares you to speak and present to people you have no prior connections to, which is a very good skill to have in the real world.”
His work and skills were noticed by Harbert faculty members, including Greg Heston, a professor of practice.
“In addition to being a great student, Ben [was] a leader amongst his peers … in the Consulting and Advisory Practicum. Ben clearly upholds the values of the Auburn Creed in his approach to his academic and service work,” Heston said.
“In CAP, Ben led a group of high-performing students in two of our consulting projects. Ben not only communicated and led other students, but he was the key contact for our clients, i.e. senior management in various departments in Auburn University,” Heston said. “Ben was very effective and proactive in leading the student team while at the same time managing the relationship and communications with our stakeholders and key client contacts.”
Colby Lakas, School of Accountancy director of recruiting and professional development, nominated Garner for the honor.
“Ben served on three distinct consulting projects benefitting units or departments of the university directed at evaluating, benchmarking and communicating results to university leadership, including President (Chris) Roberts,” she said. “These consulting projects involved interviews of university personnel as well as surveys consisting of calls and video meetings with peer institutions.
“Ben emerged as a leader in each of these consulting projects.”
One of Garner’s favorite memories at Auburn came on an early tour.
“It was a tour of the clock tower,” at historic Samford Hall, he said. “Seeing the number and history of Auburn student signatures on those walls really makes you feel you are a continuance in a long line of excellence, which will go on into the future until your signature is old and weathered also.”
His advice to undergraduates at Auburn:
“Don't let the experience of college pass you by, as the foundation for the rest of your life starts from the minute you step on campus.”
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