And Now for My Next Number…
By Eleanor Hunt
Although Nat Kinsey comes from a family of preachers, educators and musicians, he decided to pursue a double major in Accounting and Management Information Systems (MIS) after graduating in 2014 from Clements High School in Sugar Land, Texas.
“I had this love for numbers, so I made an economical decision,” he explained. “Being a Music major is great but as a good accountant would say, ‘I’m too risk averse’ to take a chance on my musical abilities.
“What fascinated me about accounting was the ability to analyze and tell a company’s story through numbers,” he continued. “Anyone going into the workforce should take an Accounting and MIS course.”
Choosing where to attend college was easy because most of the staff at his home church, Sugar Land Baptist Church, attended Baylor University.
“I was kind of brainwashed from the beginning,” Kinsey said, jokingly. “A lot of my friends who I grew up with were going to Baylor.”
Besides immersing himself in Accounting and MIS courses for nearly four years, Kinsey plays bass guitar on the Harris Creek Baptist Church worship team, helps set up equipment for Vertical Ministries, runs half-marathons and plays disc golf in Cameron Park. He was also a dormitory community leader for two years.
During the summer of 2018, Kinsey took part in the Hankamer School of Business pilot KPMG Master of Accounting with Data and Analytics Program in which course participants helped develop and appraise various projects and assignments for the program, which launched in fall 2018. The program is designed to boost one’s data management and analytical skills, while affording access to proprietary technologies of the auditing and tax firm KPMG LLP.
“The course enables accountants to provide a better service for their clients,” Kinsey related. “With data analytics, information can be collected and verified to help companies excel. Data analytics show trends and tell stories, which help businesses across all functions. By understanding how technology works, employees can harness the power of it. I’m looking forward to using the concepts in my job.”
After graduating in December 2018 with a Master’s of Accountancy and a BBA degree, Kinsey will work for KPMG in Houston. His near-term goals include passing the CPA exam, learning the audit practice and applying his MIS knowledge to bridge the divide between auditors and technology experts.
Long term, Kinsey is determined to use his education altruistically. “I went on a mission trip to Uganda last year with the Accounting Department, and I fell in love with that culture and community,” he said. “We taught local pastors how to start and maintain small businesses to help end generational poverty.”
He also participated in a mission trip to the United Kingdom in May 2018, where he led the development and implementation of information technology and data analytics systems for a small coffee shop opening a new location.
“I’d like to use my business knowledge to help local businesses and people in third-world countries make a living and improve their lifestyles. I’m dreaming big,” Kinsey concluded.
Baylor Business Review, Fall 2018