A 2005 Elizabeth High School graduate finished her college degree with honors, staying focused and never taking her eye off the prize.

Andrea Janson graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley Dec. 13 with the honors of Magna Cum Laude, which is graduating with a 3.89-3.9 grade-point average, and she did it in three and a half years.

In the beginning Janson wanted to be a teacher, but after some time tutoring, she quickly changed her mind and decided to use her math skills and go into accounting. Andrea chose the University of Northern Colorado because of its size, the business school and the distance from home.

“The classes weren’t too big and it has a really good business school,” she said. “Plus it wasn’t too far from home and I could still visit.”

Janson wasted no time getting down to business with her studies. From the beginning she wanted to graduate early, and after a discouraging academic adviser, she had the motivation to reach her goal.

“My adviser kept asking why I wanted to rush through college and she wanted to change all my goals,” she said. “She didn’t believe in me and that pushed me to finish early.”

After a rough first semester, Janson stepped up in her classes earning As in every class until graduation. She said at the beginning, most her accounting classes were a lot like high school classes with busy work as the teachers’ ways of teaching the material. But soon the repetition paid off when most of the problems on the tests resembled the homework.

Janson will admit the beginning of her college experience was tough. Leaving home for the first time, problems with her roommate and stressful homework all played a part in hard first semester. But after getting involved with campus activities, life became easier and more enjoyable.

Instead of living off campus in typical college housing, Janson lived with her aunt and uncle for the last year and a half in Greeley. She said living with her family was the best part of her college experience. She said growing close to her aunt and uncle helped her get through the times of missing home and the stresses of homework.

“My aunt and I would go out every Saturday and even if I had homework we would still go out,” she said.

Janson’s parents, Mary and Joe Janson, are proud of their daughter, but are also glad her time in college was fast.

“We missed her a lot but it has gone by so fast,” Mary Janson said. “We are very proud of her and happy she made it go by so fast.”

Janson is looking for an accounting job in the Castle Rock and south Denver areas. She chose only to apply at smaller firms, veering away from larger firms in the downtown Denver area.

“If I had gone with a bigger firm I probably would already have a job by now,” she said. “I also want to have a work-life balance. I don’t want to work 70 hours a week.”

Joe Janson said his daughter set her goals and stayed focused on them. She knew what she wanted and how she needed to achieve it.

“I am just so proud of her,” he said.