UV grad is NASA analyst

CEBU, Philippines - A graduate of the University of the Visayas is now one of the senior top financial management and program analysts of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Jenny Acebron-Carlos, who recently visited UV Executive Vice President Dr. Jose "Dodong" Gullas, graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Commerce major in Accounting from UV in 1980.

"I was here to visit Sir Dodong Gullas and I wanted to see UV and how it looks like now," Carlos said. She said she personally visited Gullas to express her gratitude to the school and to one of the owners, as it was her education from UV that brought her where she is now.

Jenny was born on Mar. 25, 1961 in Catubig, northern Samar. She is a daughter of the late Merdardo Baldoza Acebron, a musician and the late Crispina Balcera-Acebron, a public elementary school teacher. She attended the Catubig Elementary School in 1972 and graduated from high school at the Saint Mary's Academy in 1976. When it was time to go to college, she moved to Cebu and enrolled at UV, eventually graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Commerce major in Accounting.

After college, Carlos moved to Manila and began her career as an accounting clerk at the Manila Adjusters and Surveyors Company. This was where she met her future husband, Edison Carlos. The couple have two children, Shari and Jason, who are now both professionals.

Edison was already at NASA at the time. NASA is the United States government agency that handles the nation's civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. Edison is a facilities program manager of the Aerospace Technology in the Facilities Engineering Division of NASA.

Upon arriving in the USA, Carlos began her career in the United States Federal Government in 1994 where she was an accountant with the Office of Naval Intelligence in Washington, DC. Later on, she was promoted to management accountant for US Department of the Navy, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery and Fiduciary Management Department. She also worked as a systems accountant for US Department of Defense Information Systems Agency, Financial Executive/Comptroller Division and was later promoted as an accountant for the US Department of State, Bureau of Administration.

Her tasks included conducting on-site audits and the United State embassies worldwide including in Manila, and Jakarta.

In October 2005 Jenny joined NASA when she was picked as the senior accountant at the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Financial Management Office. Her work has brought significant contributions toward the improvement of NASA's fiscal integrity.

"I am proud to be a Visayanian and I am proud that I graduated in UV," she said. Jenny said that there are a lot of graduates who graduated in prominent schools in the world but it was fortunate for her that she landed a coveted position in NASA. But more than anything else, she said it was hard work that brought her there.

"I can contribute my success in my career una sa tanan ang tabang sa Ginoo. Unya, pasalamat gyud ko sa akong mga teachers," she said.— /BRP (FREEMAN)