It's hard to miss a student of Ernesto Buendia Hernandez's positivity, calm composure, and humbleness.

It is also hard to miss Buendia.

Buendia is quite tall—6'2" to be exact. He grew up watching, playing, and coaching basketball. Now he supports his younger sister in her basketball journey and catches Blazers and Lakers games on his free time.

Besides basketball, Buendia was involved in the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program in high school, an elective curriculum designed to prepare students for college and beyond. He spent his summers touring different universities with Young Entrepreneurs Business Week, a summer business camp.

Before enrolling at UO, Buendia began his accounting journey at Lane Community College, where he earned several scholarships and discovered his interest in the subject.

"I knew I wanted to go into some business field, so when I realized I was doing well in the accounting classes, I decided to pursue that," he said.

When asked what motivated him throughout his studies, Buendia shares: "I helped my family find a tax CPA for their construction business. We were able to find someone that helped us but did not speak Spanish. Nonetheless, this person has helped me tremendously and inspired me to offer my skills to the Spanish-speaking community."

Although it's the accomplishments of his two brothers and younger sister that you'll hear him sharing, Buendia's own accomplishments are impressive. He is well on his way to completing the MAcc program and already has a post-graduation job lined up with Moss Adams in Portland.

Buendia's best advice for undergrad accounting students? "Go at your own pace. I think it's really easy for undergrad accounting students to compare themselves. Sit in the front of the class, go to office hours, surround yourself with likeminded people, and just do your best."

We are certain Buendia will continue to reach new heights in his accounting career!

—Jacqueline Morales, Lundquist College School of Accounting