Posted on May 10, 2016 by Joanna Carver
San Antonio native Abigail Medina likes challenges. And, that drive led her to major in accounting and graduate with her Master of Accountancy degree this May.
Abigail Medina
A first-generation college student, Medina discovered that she enjoyed accounting and was good at it after her first introductory class.
“Accounting is a whole other language on its own,” said Medina. It is not just numbers–storytelling, showing the picture of a company and where they stand.”
Working full-time through her junior year, Medina utilized resources like the college’s Recruiter to learn about professional development opportunities offered by the College of Business.
Knowing that internship experiences are critical in the accounting field, Medina attended the annual Accounting Recruiting and Networking Event and landed an internship with Padgett Stratemann.
“I heard great things about the firm and knew a friend who had gone through the process,” said Medina, who worked in their audit division.
Following her internship, Medina was offered a full-time job as an entry-level staff auditor working in their San Antonio office. She’ll begin work in September after spending the summer studying for her CPA exam.
Medina was a member of the department’s 150-hour program which allows accounting students to complete both their undergraduate and graduate degrees simultaneously in five years. “By completing my master’s I’m eligible to pursue my CPA. The payout is so much greater, and without it you hit a wall in your career.”
During her final year at UTSA Medina worked as a teaching assistant for Elaine Sanders, and she participated in the college’s India Immersion program which she found eye opening.
“I’m grateful for all of my experiences here,” she said. “Everything has been a learning experience. Take advantage of every opportunity that UTSA has to offer.”
Wendy Frost—
Please send your comments to: wendy.frost@utsa.edu
— Joanna Carver
