Meet Hans

A No-brainer

When I was a little kid, I had never heard of UT because I was born on the Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago. While I enjoyed the island life, my family was fortunate to have the opportunity to move to the U.S. when I was 10. When we moved to Texas, UT was the school I heard most often as the most prestigious school in the area. Grateful for having such a momentous opportunity, I vowed to make the most of it.

Clearly, attending UT was the ultimate fulfillment of maximizing the opportunity given to me when I moved to the U.S. I adapted quickly to life in the U.S., and I loved every moment of it. I think because of my diverse background I am able to mesh well with all kinds of people and I am able to contribute unique perspectives. I wanted to attend a school that could deliver the same sort of diversity and unique perspectives that I cherished. It just so happened that the school that fit that bill also happened to provide the best value of any school I researched. I truly believe UT offers the best cost-to-benefit ratio of any university. For me, the decision to attend UT was a no-brainer. After attending UT for two years, my experience at UT has exceeded my expectations, and I have never had to question if I made the right decision.

The Right Direction

The admissions counselors are very attentive and helpful, so do not hesitate to contact them no matter how miniscule your question may be. In your search to find the ideal university, make an effort to get to know the people you might potentially be in contact with for the next four years of your life. You can do this by participating in recruiting events, taking tours, and meeting the university’s faculty and staff. Such experiences can help point you in the right direction and make you more comfortable in your decision.

Longhorn Camaraderie

When I was in high school, I attended several camps at UT. Attending those camps really sealed the deal for me because those camps made UT feel like home, like I belonged at UT. The staff, the counselors, and my campmates were all so friendly and understanding. They were all about giving me the best advice to make the best decisions.

After attending UT for two years, I have realized that everyone here at UT is really pulling for everyone to succeed. We applaud and encourage the accomplishments of all our peers, and want to see the University as a whole flourish. There is a great feeling of camaraderie in knowing that my professors, staff, and peers genuinely want to give me the best tools to help me be the best I can be, and hopefully in turn make the University be the best it can be. If you want evidence of that camaraderie, all you have to do is attend a UT home football game!

The Brightest Anywhere

The professors at UT are among the brightest individuals anywhere in the world. Many of UT’s professors graduated from top graduate schools like Harvard, Stanford, UPenn, and of course, UT. In addition, many professors have extraordinary real world experience and are respected leaders in their career fields. Take time to meet your professors on a personal level, and they will endow you with invaluable knowledge and opportunities.

Never Imagined

I have made friends with people who I never imagined I would be friends with. Over time, the more focused your studies become, the more you will find yourself mingling with people who have the same major and classes as you, or belong to an organization you are involved in. Always have an open mind and the people you would never have imagined as being ‘amazing’ will amaze you.

World of Accounting

When I was a senior in high school I participated in an accounting camp at McCombs School of Business. The camp really opened up my eyes to the world of accounting (much more than looking at numbers on a spreadsheet), and I remember a bell ringing in my head saying this is what I want to do. I pride myself on being a well-rounded individual, and I enjoy accounting because it gives me a broad understanding of how a company works from the inside out: what is its cost structure, how does it make money, where is it going in the future. I like to learn about as many aspects of a company as possible, and accounting allows me to do that.

In addition, the accounting profession is appealing for other reasons such as job security and opportunities for career advancement into upper management. What better place to study accounting than the school with the nation’s number one Accounting program, UT.

Investment Fund

I always enjoyed trading stocks. So when I found out about the ABSA Investment Fund, I jumped all over the opportunity. The Investment Fund is one of the only undergraduate funds that use real money to invest in the stock market. Though the interview process to get accepted to the Investment Fund was grueling, I felt a great sense of accomplishment when I was accepted.

Ultimately, joining the Investment Fund has paid huge dividends to my financial knowledge and career aspirations. I have had the pleasure of working alongside some of the smartest minds at UT, students who have worked for prestigious firms like Goldman Sachs and Microsoft. The upperclassmen on the team took time out of their very busy schedules to teach me senior level finance when I was only a freshman. As a result, my finance and accounting classes have been a breeze because I am already way ahead of the curve. The experience of being on the team has provided me with the tools and resources to ascertain incredible opportunities in the real world.