Antra Boyd sums it up like this: “If you can see the vision, make a plan.”
Definitely not short on vision, Antra has been working her plan since her first weeks of college at Kentucky State University.
“All through college, I kept hearing that a bachelor’s degree is just one piece of the puzzle, so I knew I wanted to gain work experience while pursuing my master’s degree,” explains Antra, who accepted a job at Salesforce after graduation and started researching graduate accounting programs.
“I looked at other options, but the Kelley School of Business stood out,” she says. “I grew up in Indianapolis, so I knew about Kelley’s world-wide reputation.”
Antra appreciated the relevancy and usefulness of the Kelley MS in Accounting (MSA) courses.
“You want information that will be useful day to day,” she says, recalling a particular moment in a state and local taxation class that reinforced the practicality and value of the Kelley MSA Program. “We were doing the same type of tax review and analysis at my company that we were learning in class, so I was able to go to work the next day and literally apply what I learned.”
Antra also appreciated that Kelley MSA classes are small, allowing for a personalized experience that fosters intimate interactions with both professors and classmates. And while Antra admits juggling the demands of a full-time job and graduate school can be challenging, the benefits she received from the Kelley MSA are worth the effort.
“This is something I truly wanted, and when you’re determined, you make a way,” says Antra. “I’m amazed at how fast the time went and that I was able to complete the program in a relatively short period. Everything has gone the way I planned it, and I’m very happy.”
As for the future, Antra says she wants to pursue management positions in corporate accounting and eventually run her own business. She’d also like to teach at the college level one day — helping to educate the next generation of accounting professionals.
“If you take a leap of faith and just get out there, you’ll be surprised at what you can accomplish.”