An M.S. in Accounting along with CPA certification combine well with my natural skills and interests, my educational background in counseling, and my managerial experience to create a satisfying career as an accountant.  After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a B.A. in Psychology, I pursued a career in behavioral health.  Over time, I realized that I am more interested in a business related career than counseling.  I arrived at this conclusion while working as manager of a small business.  
As manager, I established systems of organization for the customer and financial records as well as for the merchandise and the overall retail space.  The business has remained steady throughout the recent economic downturn; I believe that this is partially due to my initiative and due to creative promotional ideas and strategies that I developed.  I have enjoyed this work, and I have decided to seek advanced professional training in as preparation for a more challenging career with greater responsibilities.   When I began researching this degree, I met with both accountants and professors to learn more about the profession.  These meetings confirmed my belief that accounting offers diverse career potential, and this prospect excited me.
I am meticulous and organized, and I enjoy working with facts, logic, and information.  As an undergraduate student, my favorite course was Statistics.  My analytical mind enjoys data and finds pleasure in drawing conclusions and formulating innovative ideas.  During a counseling internship, I learned that rather than leading therapy groups, I preferred tasks that I created to assist the agency with improving organization and information management.   On my own initiative, I designed a database to track client attendance at numerous groups and to organize and assess agency demographic information over previous years.  This tool was able to be used to organize a vast amount of information that previously lacked any type of organization.  As a result, the agency was better able to track clients, to plan appropriate programs, and to develop useful groups.  Thus, my organization skills helped the agency with its mission and its goals.
My counseling background is an asset for entering the field of accounting; it enhanced my skills in working with other individuals and communicating effectively.  In accounting, it is not only important to be able to derive accurate conclusions and information, but also to be able to convey that information appropriately to others.  With my skills in developing empathy with others, in communicating in a sensitive and effective way with others, and in actively listening to others, I will be better prepared to work with clients in a way that ensures that we communicate effectively.  
In conclusion, pursuing the M.S. in Accounting at the Bryan School of Business is the next step in my career.  My short term goal is to become certified as a CPA, and I have not yet selected the specific niche in Accounting which will be right for me.  Auditing, financial analysis, and forensic accounting interest me, but I am eager to explore other options in your program to determine which will be the best fit. 
