Balancing the Books

Athletics, academics & work

"Balancing the Books" means much more than "debits equal credits" to Bailey Peschel (BBA '22 & MAcy '23), our inaugural recipient of the Accounting Department's Outstanding Undergraduate Award.  She has excelled in academics as proven by her 4.0 GPA and in athletics as the captain of the Bobcats women's soccer team. Playing the position of forward means Bailey must attack the opponent's goal line -- which she does -- having scored six goals and four assists to-date. Her soccer prowess has also resulted in serious injuries, including a torn ACL and a broken wrist. Bailey meets those challenges with her characteristic good nature and determination, as she looks ahead to being back on the field in the fall semester while completing her MAcy degree.

Being on the soccer team while first pursuing a bachelor's and then a master's degree in accounting has meant that Bailey had to carefully plan almost every minute of every day. She is rather low-key when she acknowledges, "Yes, time management is really important."

Bailey has earned numerous athletic awards, including: 2022 Texas State Bobcat Pride and 2022 Perseverance Award plus a spot on the 2021-22 Sun Belt Conference Commissioner's List.  She is humble and appreciative of the athletic scholarship that has funded her academic work as she points out the financial challenges of many of her classmates. "I know how much they work at jobs before or after classes, many evenings, and on the weekends because it can be difficult for them to get together for our class project group meetings. They're balancing school and, sometimes, multiple jobs."

That kind of work and dedication pays off which is why Bailey was honored with our Outstanding Undergraduate Award. It is also why more than 50 accounting majors earned scholarships and recognition at the Accounting Excellence Celebration on April 20. [See related story below.]