MPAC Officer Letters of Intent

MPAC Officer Letters of Intent 2016
Elections to be held Wednesday, September 14th at 5pm in

GSB 5.153
President
Omoregie Guobadia
Sarah Stif
Kiran Sundrani
Vice President
Paul Lee
Kaleb Pereira
Will Clift
Chief Financial Officer
Candice Minter
Sophie Suhariono
Jonathan Bouwhuis
Chief Membership Officer
Paul Lee
Kaleb Pereira
Sophie Suhariono
Meredith Knisley
You must be present at the meeting in order

to vote!

President
Omoregie Guobadia
Hello MPA Council Members,
My name is Omoregie Guobadia. You can call me Regie for short. I am a
Traditional MPA Student seeking your support for President of the MPA
Council. I am on the Financial Reporting and Assurance track and will also be
serving as an MPA Student Ambassador for the 2016-2017 session. I
graduated from The University of Texas at Tyler this past May with a B.B.A in
Accounting, where I was also a member of the Universitys Mens Basketball
Program - learning the value and importance of leadership, teamwork and
collaboration. This past May, I was nominated to the AICPA Accounting
Scholars Leadership Workshop in Durham, North Carolina for young emerging
CPAs and was fortunate to hear the full array of career potential our
discipline ofers, and to meet young accounting and finance students from all
over the country.
I am running for President of the MPA Council for this upcoming year because
I know the potential this Council has within the MPA Program and within the
McCombs community, and would wish to help this organization acquire more
prominence within the McCombs School and within UT.
An asset I think would be invaluable to my service on the MPA Council would
be my international experience. As a student fortunate enough to have lived
in three diferent countries, including the United States, I truly understand
and appreciate the importance of advocating for our brand as MPAs not only
on a domestic front but also globally. My international experiences have also
given me the ability to relate with people from markedly diferent
backgrounds for mine, which I believe to be very relevant considering the
increasingly global nature of our program.
As part of my agenda as President, I intend to work strongly with our MPAs
who are just beginning their foray into upper-level accounting coursework. I
think back to when I was starting my accounting classes and had no basic
knowledge of the industry outside of coursework. What is public
accounting?, What is industry?, What is a CPA, CMA, and CISA and all the
many other acronyms that the accounting industry has? I had to find all that
and much more by myself by doing a lot of research. If we in the council can
help bridge the gap in knowledge for the upcoming MPAs and those of us
who are in our fifth-years and perhaps those of us who have already been in
the workforce, I think that would be very positive.
I also would be strongly interested in working with our VP and Special Events
Chair to spread the word about what MPAC and the MPA are doing in our local

community. I would be interested in working with groups like ECHO, the
Central Texas Food Bank, etc. upon consultation with the rest of the council
members and relevant committee chairs. As MPAs, our reputation in the
accounting and business worlds is pretty unparalleled but I would wish for us
to go a step further and prove ourselves to not just be brains who know all
the intricacies of GAAP but also engaged and active participants in the local
Austin area even if it is for just one short food drive or volunteering event.
Lastly, as part of the idea of an MPA Student Community, I will seek to find
further ways for us to not only be partners in an academic and career sense
but also to foster social interactions through intramural teams, social events,
etc. particularly amongst iMPAs and Econ-MPAs who have been at UT for a
couple years, and tMPAs who are coming from a diferent school.
In summary, my goals as President of the MPA Council would be to:
Integrate iMPA, tMPAs and Econ-MPAs not only with each other but also
with MBAs and the rest of the McCombs programs
Facilitate MPAC Activities to promote interaction and camaraderie e.g.
intramural teams, volunteering eforts
Create a laid-back and communal yet professional atmosphere within
MPAC which results in us keeping in touch with one another when we
begin our respective careers
I believe leadership is not only about being sound in getting the operations of
an organization working well, its also about creating a vision of where you
want an organization to go. My vision for the MPA Council this upcoming year
would be to see us engaged very positively in upholding the brand of our
program and to get all of us seeking to go the extra mile in securing and
advancing the brand equity of our degrees, our program and our council.
Thank you for your time and I look forward to a successful session on the
MPA Council with your support.
Sincerely,
Omoregie Guobadia

Sarah Stif
Hi MPAC Members,
My name is Sarah Stif and I am running for the position of President. I am a
traditional MPA that studied accounting at Case Western Reserve University
(CWRU) in Cleveland, Ohio. After completing my undergraduate career, I
decided to return to the great state of Texas (Im originally from Houston) to
pursue my masters in the Financial Statement and Assurance track. While I
am new to UT, I am eager to get involved with MPA Council and other UT
organizations. During my undergrad I was very involved in various campus
organizations including positions as: Vice President of Chapter Operations
and Director of Sisterhood for Alpha Phi, Vice President of Finance for the
Global Ethical Leaders Society, Treasurer of Beta Alpha Psi, Director of
Recruitment and Director of Alumni Relations for CWRU Model United Nations
Team, Volunteers Chair for the Springfest Committee, Treasurer for the
Magnolia Residence Hall Association, Special Events Chair for the University
Program Board, Emerging Leaders Program Mentor, and a Civic Engagement
Scholar. In almost all of these organizations, I was an active participant for all
three years of my undergrad.
In addition to my campus involvement, I have also held a few diferent jobs
and internships. I was a Tour Guide at CWRU, and held two jobs for every
summer between years in my undergrad. I have interned in audit with PwC in
Houston, Tax with Deloitte in Houston, and Tax with Deloitte in London,
England. Additionally, I have worked at the American Bureau of Shipping as a
Legal and Financial Assistant and Bayou City Adventures as a Lead Guide in
their kayaking division. I bring to the table an open and creative mind, solid
extracurricular and professional experience and a can-do attitude that will
allow me to succeed as president, if I am elected.
I have a few ideas for MPAC already, but I plan to send out a preliminary
survey if elected. These ideas can easily be broken into two categories
bonding and professional events. For the bonding events, I would like to do
regular outings to diferent places around the area such as Topgolf, Laser
Tag, kayaking, and Barton Springs. Additionally, I would like to have monthly
birthday cakes, stress breaks during finals, an update to the MPA lounge
(fridge, cofee mugs, shelves, snacks and games). If possible, I would also
like to do one camping trip per semester. For professional events, I would like
to have volunteering events with accounting firms, resume reviews with the
career center, ethics discussions, CPA career panels dinners with professors
and an alumni mentor program. I would help to make these events a reality
in conjunction with the Vice President. I have a lot of goals for MPA Council
and I would love to make them a reality. If you have any questions,
comments, or concerns before the elections Wednesday (or at any time),

please dont hesitate to contact me at sarah.stif@utexas.edu or at (713)624-2185.

Kiran Sundrani
My name is Kiran Sundrani and Im running for President of the MPA Council.
Im a fifth-year integrated MPA student, financial reporting and assurance
track.
I joined MPA Council in the Fall of 2014, as a third-year MPA student. I had
just transferred to UT and into the MPA Program. Joining the MPA Council was
the best decision I ever made. It helped me ease my way into getting
involved in the community without being overwhelmed. The exclusivity of
the MPA Council has allowed me to build strong relationships with other
MPAs, as I spent time with my peers outside of class in a more relaxed
environment. I served as a Historian that year for MPAC. I was in charge of
documenting all the events on diferent social media platforms through
photos or posts. During my position as the social media chair, I realized that
we had a page on every major social media platform, but we still had very
little social media presence. I decided to hone our focus on only one platform
that is Facebook, as it seemed to reach the highest number of MPAC
members out of all the others. I increased the number of relevant regular
posts on our Facebook that resulted in visibility of the MPAC page from 50 to
250 people. I found that we had greater interactions with members on social
media when I posted photos, so I incorporated more pictures in our posts to
increase the views on our posts. I also assisted April Stockwell in the MPA
Program Office in designing and implementing the new MPAC page layout on
the MyMccombs website. I was tasked with keeping that page updated with
officer, events, and speaker information. I truly enjoyed working on diferent
projects for the MPA Council and getting members involved in our diferent
events.
I think MPAC is a great resource, since we have MPA students in all diferent
years of the program. Members, especially third-year MPA students can really
take advantage of this network to learn from the experiences of older MPAs.
As president, I would really like to focus on building strong relationship
between the new and older members, since we all go through the same
classes and recruiting process. Since the classes for the first year in MPA can
be intense, I would like to implement study sessions where the older
members can help newer members in their course material. Also, I
remember being very confused about things like recruiting and choosing my
track, etc. Hence, another idea I would like to introduce is a mentor-mentee
program so that older members can make the most out of what they have
learned and help out new members make more informed decisions. Im
currently working at the BBA Career Services and we get a lot of regular
accounting students inquiring about the MPA program. I would like to hold
info sessions for them to learn more about the program and MPAC to make
them more aware of the program and make their transition easier. I would
also like for members to build relationships with alumni and to take

advantage of our vast MPA network. In the past we have had alumni speaker
events, but I think social events held with alumni would give members a
better opportunity to connect with them on a more personal basis. Im very
excited to get everyone involved and engaged in the MPA Council and I hope
that I will get a chance to put my ideas into action. I want members to
contribute to the organization, as well as get the most out of it for
themselves.

Vice President
Paul Lee
Hello MPA Council members,
My name is Paul Lee and I am a fourth year integrated MPA student running
for the positions of Vice President and Chief Membership Officer. Having the
opportunity to experience a variety of diferent situations has given me
insight into how diferent people can be and yet still come together as a
community. I served as the Vice President of MPA Council last year and
enjoyed serving MPA students and faculty. However, I do not think that my
experience has ended yet. I believe that another year as Vice President will
allow me to continue improving MPA Council. As a current Campus
Ambassador for Becker Professional Education, I hope to be able to use this
position as a way to further enhance the MPA experience for MPA Council
members.
Two years ago, I was an Investment Analyst for the University Finance
Association, where my team invested in various stocks during a competition.
Although I ultimately chose not to major in Finance, this experience has
allowed me to better work in a team environment and be more receptive to
varying opinions. I was also a small group leader in Asian American Campus
Ministry (AACM). As leaders, we volunteered every year for New Student
Outreach (NSO), where we organized many events during the beginning of
the school year to help new students find a community. My involvement in
NSO has affirmed my ability to socialize with members and organize social
events, which will greatly help me in performing my role as a council
member.
One of my main goals for this organization is to help people get involved.
There are many organizations on campus that consist entirely of either
freshmen who are trying it out or officers who pour time into it. I want for
MPAC to be a balanced organization that allows members to choose their
level of involvement. Another important goal I have is for us to have a sense
of community as fellow MPA students. We are all the same major. We will all
struggle through Intermediate Accounting. We will all study hard for the CPA
Exam. However, beyond that, we all have the determination to succeed. We
should all take pride in the work we put to get here and recognize others who
have done the same.
I might be running for officer positions, but I am a student too. I love to laugh
and joke around just like everyone. Therefore, I know that we can have an
amazing and fun year together. Overall, I am looking forward to the
opportunities ahead and I hope to contribute greatly to this organization
through the MPA Council.
Sincerely,
Paul

Kaleb Pereira
Hello members, new and old!
My name is Kaleb Pereira and I am currently a 4th-year integrated MPA
student! I am looking to fill the Vice President or Chief Membership Officer
position.
This past year, I had the privilege to serve as the Chief Membership Officer
and really enjoyed working with the executive team. However, I feel as
though there is still plenty of work to be done in order to bring MPA council to
its full potential! Through the VP position, I would really like to work on some
reorganization in order to provide a better experience for members while
also setting a precedent for future executive boards. MPA Council has the
potential to be an awesome organization, and it all starts with the board and
our relationships with the MPA office and faculty. As CMO, I would like to build
upon the work done last year in order to provide some fun events and perks
for members of the council while also continuing to grow our organization
and get our name out there. We have hundreds of students who are in our
MPA programs, so theres no excuse that our organization shouldnt be
bigger and better and I want to make that happen!
I know that through either of these positions that my main goal will always
be to further develop the organization and provide the best for its members.
Im excited to see what this year brings and hope to see everybody at
elections and all of our events!
Peace and blessings,
Kaleb Pereira

Will Clift
Dear MPA Council,
I'm announcing my intent to run for the Vice President position in the MPA
Council. I've had experience in other leadership positions across campus that
qualify me for this position. As VP, it would be my job to handle the internal
logistics and operations of the organization, maintain relationships with
faculty, and create events and objectives for the organization. As former
treasurer of my residence hall council, I understand the importance of
keeping track of details and monitoring progress. Additionally, my experience
as a recruitment captain for my fraternity gave me the ability to organize
events and implement strategies. My goal as VP will be to bring a new level
of correspondence between MPAC and the faculty. I look forward to giving my
speech on the 14th.
Sincerely,
Will Clift

Chief Financial Officer
Candice Minter
Hi, Im Candice and I am a 4th year Integrated MPA student. I was a member
of the MPA Council last year and decided I want to take a more active role in
the program this year. I think it will be a lot of fun working with the other
members of the council to make the MPA experience a better one for all
students as well as creating bonding events for those within the council
where we can share our experiences and get to know each other a little bit
better.
I was on the financial committee for the Black Business Students Association
my freshman year and we came up with a lot of fundraising events for our
organization to raise money and provide more social events. Outside of
school, I am a tax intern at a local CPA office here in Austin and I have
learned a lot from this experience. Some other information about me is that I
have a passion for working with special needs children and my goal is to
have a career in nonprofits.
Looking forward to a great year!
Candice Minter

Sophie Suhariono
Dear MPA Council Members,
My name is Sophie Suhariono and I am running for the Chief Financial Officer
and Chief Membership Officer positions. I am currently a traditional MPA
student on the Financial Reporting and Assurance track. I am interested in
joining MPA Council because I would like to create a well-connected MPA
community. As students at the most prestigious program in the country, we
often times are so focused on our academics that we neglect the importance
of connecting and building network with our peers. My goal is to make MPA
Council a place where students can meet new friends socially and also
connect professionally.
Ive had experience leading a team, managing funds, and building a
community. When I was the Director of Finance at the Indonesian Student
Association at the University of Washington (ISAUW), I managed an annual
budget of $70K, organized fundraising activities, and obtained sponsorships
from both local and international companies. I was also the president of
North Seattle College Accounting Club, where I led the organization with the
aim of connecting people who have interest in accounting and building a
community of accounting students on campus. My role as the president was
to oversee and supervise the event planning, financial planning, and
marketing eforts that go into organizing both social and professional events.
My plan for the year is to attract more active members and develop a greater
presence in the MPA community. Some initiatives include organizing monthly
social events, sending out surveys to find out what type of events members
would like to see in the future, building an active social media presence, and
developing the membership point system.
I believe that my experience makes me the best candidate for the Chief
Financial Officer or Chief Membership Officer position. I look forward to the
opportunity to serve as an officer of MPA Council!
Best regards,
Sophie Suhariono

Jonathan Bouwhuis
Hello MPA Council Members,
My name is Jonathan Bouwhuis and I am a third year iMPA student. I am
running for Chief Financial Officer for this fall. I have previously held
internships with Hines REIT as an accounting intern and have been
committed to graduating from the University of Texas with a Masters in
Professional Accounting ever since. I have always had an interest in working
with budgets because finding diferent ways to allocate money and being
more efficient are challenges that I enjoy. I have experience being in
leadership positions in my fraternity, Phi Delta Theta. I pledged last fall and
was the Pledge Class President, then went on to be the Historian the next
semester, and am currently on Social Committee. Throughout my
experiences in leadership positions, I have gained abilities in motivating
others, organizing budgets, and using resources efficiently. Most recently, I
have worked with numerous companies to get sponsorships for our tailgates
and as a result we anticipate cutting costs while having a nicer tailgate. I am
very responsible and can be relied on to carry out important tasks. As Chief
Financial Officer, I believe I can make a large impact on the organization.
My goals for myself as Chief Financial Officer as well as for the organization
are to maximize utility from the budget and increase the size of the
organization as a whole. To maximize utility from the budget, I plan to
reallocate and cut costs from any expenses that are unnecessary or
inefficient. I believe that you can always find ways to either get cheaper
items or better quality from the same price, and whether that means
searching around more or getting sponsorships, I am confident that I can get
it done. I think this will in turn help me with my other goal. By maximizing
the budget and giving members or prospective members events to be
excited about, I believe the MPA council can take a big leap forward. From
going to the information session, I was able to see the potential for growth in
the MPA council. I see opportunities to expand and I believe as Chief
Financial Officer I can take the budget and make big moves for the
organization.
I would greatly appreciate this opportunity to help the organization, and if I
am elected I will do everything I can to be a great Chief Financial Officer.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Bouwhuis

Chief Membership Officer
Paul Lee
Hello MPA Council members,
My name is Paul Lee and I am a fourth year integrated MPA student running
for the positions of Vice President and Chief Membership Officer. Having the
opportunity to experience a variety of diferent situations has given me
insight into how diferent people can be and yet still come together as a
community. I served as the Vice President of MPA Council last year and
enjoyed serving MPA students and faculty. However, I do not think that my
experience has ended yet. I believe that another year as Vice President will
allow me to continue improving MPA Council. As a current Campus
Ambassador for Becker Professional Education, I hope to be able to use this
position as a way to further enhance the MPA experience for MPA Council
members.
Two years ago, I was an Investment Analyst for the University Finance
Association, where my team invested in various stocks during a competition.
Although I ultimately chose not to major in Finance, this experience has
allowed me to better work in a team environment and be more receptive to
varying opinions. I was also a small group leader in Asian American Campus
Ministry (AACM). As leaders, we volunteered every year for New Student
Outreach (NSO), where we organized many events during the beginning of
the school year to help new students find a community. My involvement in
NSO has affirmed my ability to socialize with members and organize social
events, which will greatly help me in performing my role as a council
member.
One of my main goals for this organization is to help people get involved.
There are many organizations on campus that consist entirely of either
freshmen who are trying it out or officers who pour time into it. I want for
MPAC to be a balanced organization that allows members to choose their
level of involvement. Another important goal I have is for us to have a sense
of community as fellow MPA students. We are all the same major. We will all
struggle through Intermediate Accounting. We will all study hard for the CPA
Exam. However, beyond that, we all have the determination to succeed. We
should all take pride in the work we put to get here and recognize others who
have done the same.
I might be running for officer positions, but I am a student too. I love to laugh
and joke around just like everyone. Therefore, I know that we can have an
amazing and fun year together. Overall, I am looking forward to the
opportunities ahead and I hope to contribute greatly to this organization
through the MPA Council.
Sincerely,
Paul

Kaleb Pereira
Hello members, new and old!
My name is Kaleb Pereira and I am currently a 4th-year integrated MPA
student! I am looking to fill the Vice President or Chief Membership Officer
position.
This past year, I had the privilege to serve as the Chief Membership Officer
and really enjoyed working with the executive team. However, I feel as
though there is still plenty of work to be done in order to bring MPA council to
its full potential! Through the VP position, I would really like to work on some
reorganization in order to provide a better experience for members while
also setting a precedent for future executive boards. MPA Council has the
potential to be an awesome organization, and it all starts with the board and
our relationships with the MPA office and faculty. As CMO, I would like to build
upon the work done last year in order to provide some fun events and perks
for members of the council while also continuing to grow our organization
and get our name out there. We have hundreds of students who are in our
MPA programs, so theres no excuse that our organization shouldnt be
bigger and better and I want to make that happen!
I know that through either of these positions that my main goal will always
be to further develop the organization and provide the best for its members.
Im excited to see what this year brings and hope to see everybody at
elections and all of our events!
Peace and blessings,
Kaleb Pereira

Sophie Suhariono
Dear MPA Council Members,
My name is Sophie Suhariono and I am running for the Chief Financial Officer
and Chief Membership Officer positions. I am currently a traditional MPA
student on the Financial Reporting and Assurance track. I am interested in
joining MPA Council because I would like to create a well-connected MPA
community. As students at the most prestigious program in the country, we
often times are so focused on our academics that we neglect the importance
of connecting and building network with our peers. My goal is to make MPA
Council a place where students can meet new friends socially and also
connect professionally.
Ive had experience leading a team, managing funds, and building a
community. When I was the Director of Finance at the Indonesian Student
Association at the University of Washington (ISAUW), I managed an annual
budget of $70K, organized fundraising activities, and obtained sponsorships
from both local and international companies. I was also the president of
North Seattle College Accounting Club, where I led the organization with the
aim of connecting people who have interest in accounting and building a
community of accounting students on campus. My role as the president was
to oversee and supervise the event planning, financial planning, and
marketing eforts that go into organizing both social and professional events.
My plan for the year is to attract more active members and develop a greater
presence in the MPA community. Some initiatives include organizing monthly
social events, sending out surveys to find out what type of events members
would like to see in the future, building an active social media presence, and
developing the membership point system.
I believe that my experience makes me the best candidate for the Chief
Financial Officer or Chief Membership Officer position. I look forward to the
opportunity to serve as an officer of MPA Council!
Best regards,
Sophie Suhariono

Meredith Knisley
Hello everyone,
I am Meredith Knisley. I am currently a 4th Year MPA, and I am running for
Chief Membership Officer. One of the responsibilities of the Chief Membership
Officer is to create and distribute communication to members. I am already
very familiar with this responsibility since I have been on the University
Accounting Associations Communications Committee since last fall. I email
out weekly or bi-weekly emails to members to keep them informed. I am
very organized and will manage membership records well.
I hope to help MPA Council recruit more members this year and retain those
members. If elected, I will do my best to implement any suggestions you all
have for events and think it would be very beneficial to conduct surveys
periodically to make sure you feel like we are serving your needs. In addition,
I like knowing about events way in advance and being reminded of them
closer to time. Therefore, if I am elected, I will do my best to inform you of
events as promptly as possible so you can fit them into your busy schedules.
Thank you,
Meredith Knisley

MPAC Officer Letters of Intent

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MPAC Officer Letters of Intent

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MPAC Officer Letters of Intent 2016

Elections to be held Wednesday, September 14th at 5pm in

You must be present at the meeting in order