Bryant Horne said it was the interest inventories on the ACT that first steered him towards a degree in accounting. “People say accounting is the language of business,” the Alabama native says. “A lot of business majors don’t like accounting and I thought if I didn’t like it I’d go into another area of business.”

The son of an engineer and high school math teacher, Horne says that he always preferred math over science and that accounting has been a good fit for him so far. “I’m helping people do what they want to do with their business,” he says. Horne admits also relishing his office in downtown Jackson’s Regions Plaza, an urban environment he has really enjoyed.

Horne passed his CPA exam in 2009 and finished his work certification requirements last September. When he’s not crunching numbers Horne enjoys Mississippi State athletics and is active in the First Baptist Jackson singles ministry. “Do well in your major and be passionate about it,” Horne tells aspiring accountants. “Pay attention to your resume and how your GPA will impact it.”