Dream Jobs

Four MPAs leverage their accounting savvy to pursue interesting careers

From forensic accounting to investment banking, these MPA students will use their accounting degrees in novel areas. Their time at Texas McCombs helped them zero in on jobs that are a perfect fit for their unique backgrounds, interests, and skill sets.

Katherine Brown, MPA ’25, Goldman Sachs, Dallas, Texas

When Katherine Brown came to The University of Texas at Austin, she knew she wanted to pursue an MPA. During the summer after her sophomore year, a finance course she took during a study abroad in Greece piqued her interest in finance, too. She liked that finance was just as detail-oriented as accounting, but also focused on predicting the future in addition to analyzing the past. She interned with Goldman Sachs last summer and will join the firm as an analyst in its Private Credit group. “I’ll get to take a deep dive into a new industry or company every few weeks, which keeps the work interesting,” she says. She’s looking forward to interacting with C-suite members early in her career. She says her accounting education at McCombs has been essential to helping her understand what drives financial trends.

Raphael Jabour, MPA ’25, EY-Parthenon, Dallas, Texas

During internships at Dell Technologies — one in supply chain and the other in accounting — Raphael Jabour enjoyed project-based work that focused on solving business problems; he says it felt like consulting work. He realized consulting would allow him to tackle high-impact problems and gain experience across a wide range of projects and industries. He interned with EY-Parthenon last summer and will return to the company after graduation as a strategy and transactions associate. Consultants spend their first two years as generalists. Some common project types include commercial due diligence, market entry strategy, product and business unit development, and transaction execution. Jabour will support these workstreams by analyzing market dynamics, business operations, and key sector trends to identify insights that shape project deliverables. “UT, and the Texas McCombs accounting program specifically, prepared me for consulting by instilling a strong framework for structured thinking and problem-solving,” he says.

Christian Tinoco Lopez, MPA ’25, Clearsight Advisors, Tysons Corner, Virginia

Marine Corps veteran Christian Tinoco Lopez approached his job search with two questions: What am I good at, and what do people need in the world? The answers — communication, building relationships, and tackling complex problems — led him to investment banking. This July, he will start as an analyst at Clearsight Advisors. The firm provides M&A advisory, financial advisory, and capital raising solutions — on the buy-side and sell-side — with a focus on business services and technology-enabled services industries. Clearsight piqued his interest after it hosted a coffee chat at McCombs. He says he is looking forward to using the skills gained in the program to help companies navigate challenging and unfamiliar territory. “This program equipped me with both the technical know-how and the interpersonal skills I’ll need to thrive in my new role at Clearsight,” he says.

Ashton Young, MPA ’25, Forensics & Integrity Services, EY, Austin, Texas

From a young age, Ashton Young had a deep interest in law and technology and an affinity for math. Forensic accounting’s blend of investigative work, using technology to detect fraud, and financial expertise seemed like a perfect fit for her. During a summer audit internship, Young connected with EY’s Forensic & Integrity Services group, learning about its work in fraud investigations and compliance. At summer’s end, she had an offer. At EY, she’ll investigate financial fraud, analyze large datasets to identify irregularities, and ensure companies comply with regulations. The MPA program prepared her well. “My courses sharpened my ability to analyze financial data, detect risks, and think strategically about forensic investigations,” she says.

by Deborah Blumberg