MPA students are more than just future accountants. Our students work hard and have well-rounded lives, including athletic endeavors. From varsity level competitors, to dedicated amateur athletes, students represent the accounting profession across the campus and city of Austin.
Imani Boyette
Expected Grad Year: 2016
“My biggest accomplishment was the team winning the 1000th game in school history making us the fifth women’s basketball team in history to do so.”
Allyson Hite (photo: second from right)
Expected Grad Year: 2019
“Winning Big XII Championships last spring and placing seventh as a team at the 2015 NCAA Championship was my biggest rowing accomplishment so far.”
Anna Barratt
Expected Grad Year: 2016
“In a program such as this, it is easy to get obsessive about studying and always working. As a result, I use powerlifting as an outlet to relieve stress. I think they have ended up complementing each other really well.” Chen ZhaoExpected Grad Year: 2016 “As a future auditor who will focus on analytical and critical thinking skill, playing table tennis helps me to develop mental acuity, stimulate mental alertness and concentration. Time management is the key to balance accounting responsibilities and athletics since I train three times a week. However, I feel better at studying after training because playing sports can sharpen my mind and increase efficiency.”
Alfonso Toscano
Expected Grad Year: 2018
“Being part of the iMPA program is tough when there are many extracurriculars available at UT. However, by being an officer for the Hispanic Business Student Association I have been able to be in charge of our Athletics committee. At UT I play soccer, volleyball, ultimate frisbee, softball, and basketball. At the same time HBSA helps me stay focused on my accounting classes so I believe it has been the perfect bridge that has helped me balance my passion for accounting and my love for sports.”
Chen Zhao
Expected Grad Year: 2016
“As a future auditor who will focus on analytical and critical thinking skill, playing table tennis helps me to develop mental acuity, stimulate mental alertness and concentration. Time management is the key to balance accounting responsibilities and athletics since I train three times a week. However, I feel better at studying after training because playing sports can sharpen my mind and increase efficiency.”
Johnny Vo (photo: second from left)
Expected Grad Year: 2018
“I depend a lot on my Google Calendar to balance all my responsibilities and athletics. I plan around my games because they are set in stone. I try to either do my homework before the games or set aside time after the games to work.”
Kristen Stanley
Expected Grad Year: 2017
“Every day is a great accomplishment with Texas 4000 because we are doing something so great for the communities we visit, and we each have the opportunity to grow as individuals. I have never been a cyclist before, but after joining Texas 4000; I believe this will be a long-time hobby of mine. Every mile makes us stronger, every minute brings us closer together, and every donation helps towards finding a cure for cancer.”
Marissa Pekarek
Expected Grad Year: 2016
“I think athletics actually helps me balance out my school responsibilities with other responsibilities. Running is a stress reliever for me so it’s nice to have that to go to when accounting gets overwhelming.”
Charlie Adkins
Expected Grad Year: 2017
“To balance my accounting responsibilities with athletic endeavors, I have to effectively allocate and manage my time. My time management skills and work ethic enable me to fulfill all responsibilities to the best of my ability. Additionally, I relate much of my schoolwork into the athletics realm, so I am constantly looking for parallels and things to take away in each space. I am able to see the incredible work of my peers each and every day, and we all continue to push each other to new heights.”
Lauren Woolfolk
Expected Grad Year: 2018
“I’ve completed four marathons and am currently training for my fifth. The biggest accomplishment I’ve had with running is seeing significant improvements in my time after each race and finally making that sub 4:00 personal best!”
It’s not just our students that are athletes, faculty and staff are competitors too! In between teaching, researching, and planning, a number of those near and dear to the Department of Accounting also make time to train and compete.
Jaime Schmidt
Assistant Professor
“I won my first marathon last year (albeit it was a small race). I placed 7th in my age group at the Phoenix Rock-N-Roll marathon and 10th in my age group at the Dallas marathon. I’m also one of a handful of BEEF team elite runners. I wear a Beef Jersey, advocate for the nutritional benefits of eating lean beef and the Texas Beef Council supplements my race costs. It’s a great organization of which I’m proud to be a member.”
Michael Granof
Professor
Michael Granof running in the 3M-Half Marathon.
Stacy Abrams
MPA Special Projects Coordinator
“I competed at the United States Masters Swimming (USMS) Nationals last year and did really well. I got 9th in the 100 Backstroke, and placed 12th in the 100 Free and 100 Fly.”
Patrick Badolato
Lecturer
“Since coming to Austin I have played Australian Rules football for the Austin Crows and run numerous races, including the Zilker relays with fellow Accounting faculty members. In an attempt to keep with an increasingly talented and championship winning Crows team, I’ve committed to running or biking to and from UT every work day, participate in time-effective high-intensity workouts, and find creative ways to combine functional fitness and play with my two young boys.”
Patti & Ken Brown
Lecturers
“Ken and I completed the Athens Marathon together and have completed many half-marathons. My first marathon was the Nike Marathon, where I raised over $7,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society while training for the event. This pic is from the Athens Marathon and was taken in the Panathenaic Stadium that dates back to the 1896 Olympics in Greece.”