Macon State College MVPs is a web feature that profiles notable students, alumni, faculty and staff.

Family: “My husband, Air Force Tech. Sgt. Armando Barajas, and my two sons, Armando Barajas Jr., 10, and Cristian A. Barajas, 8.”

Current Employment: “I am completing a part-time internship with a CPA Firm in Warner Robins called Nichols, Cauley & Associates.”

Degree: Graduated from Macon State in 2007 with a bachelor of science in business with a major in accounting. She is now taking additional Macon State coursework to become eligible to take the CPA exam.

Macon State Activities: “I participated with the International Students and Studies Association for two semesters and helped with that group’s annual festival. I was also a part of the Macon State College Accounting Association, and served as secretary for two semesters and president for one. In fall 2007 I organized an event called ‘Meet the Firms Night.’ We invited local accounting firms to come and interact with the students, allowing the students to learn more about the aspects of public accounting, and offered an opportunity to the firms to find potential employees. We had at least four students receive internships from this event. Dr. Harry McAlum was an inspiration in getting this event organized.”

Career Goals: “It has always been my dream to become a CPA. As of now, I am the only one in my family to continue with an education beyond high school. It means a great deal to me to be able to achieve this longtime dream, and to know that I, with the help of God and my family, have been able to move beyond the obstacles set before me.”

She chose Macon State College because … “It was the college that afforded me the flexibility that I needed to continue with my education. Macon State has the capacity to teach many students but at the same time offer one-on-one quality guidance. Another reason I chose Macon State was the affordability of the quality education you can receive.”

The one thing that surprised her about Macon State was … “How fast it is growing. At Macon State they have found ways to expand and improve in a manner that is smooth as well as helpful to the students. It amazes me how much they actually try to make everything easier so that students have less stress and more time to dedicate to their classes and to achieving their goals.”

Her favorite professor during spring semester 2008 is … “Dr. Harry McAlum, professor of accounting. He has gone out of his way to help me with my classes and to guide me when I needed his help to organize ‘Meet the Firms Night.’ I’ve taken several classes from him: intermediate accounting, auditing, accounting information systems and advanced financial accounting. Throughout the semesters I have found that he cares about students who apply themselves and keep focused on their goals. He has been a great help.”

Her favorite place to study is … “The cafeteria. Although it can get noisy, it doesn’t beat the good feeling you get when you bump into someone you know, and know that they are also on a deadline.”

One thing people don’t know about her is … “I like to collect Disney cartoons. I blame it on my kids, but in reality, I collect them because I am still a kid at heart. My favorite one is ‘Mulan.’”

Her friends make fun of her because … “When I go to class I take my Creative ZEN player and record the lectures and don’t always go back and listen to them.”

The one person she’d most like to meet is … “Angela Lansbury from the old series ‘Murder She Wrote.’ I love watching her show, but I would like to know if she really is as pushy in real life as she is on the show.”

Five years from now she sees herself … “As a successful CPA, and helping people organize their financial lives. I also see myself helping my children to continue doing well in school and seeing my husband finish or come close to his educational goals.”