Employee Spotlight – Alissa Echabarria

Alissa has spent the entirety of her professional accounting career serving on the De Boer Baumann & Company team. She joined the firm as an intern in January of 2020 and then came on fulltime in February of 2021. In her role as staff, she works primarily in payroll.

A cum laude graduate of Grand Valley State University, Alissa holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting. She appeared on the Dean’s List consecutively, received over 11 scholarships for superior scholastic achievement, and joined the Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society.

When asked to describe her favorite part about working for De Boer Baumann & Company, Alissa responded that she loves her coworkers. “Everyone has been super nice and helpful through trainings, and I have made great friends,” she said. “I am learning more and more each day and am excited for what the future holds.”

Alissa’s first job was very different from her current employment. “I was a Barista at Starbucks. This is ironic because I do not like coffee, yet I had to keep sampling it to be able to tell customers what it tasted like.” Luckily, her current job is more to her taste!

In her free time, Alissa loves to read. If she didn’t have to sleep, she says she would spend the extra time reading. Her favorite book is Pride & Prejudice—if she could visit any fictional place, she would want to go to the Pemberley Estate. Alissa also loves to read the Bible. It is what she cited when asked what she wishes she knew more about. She explained, “I would like to know more about the Bible and to better understand it. I am a Christian and love to continuously hear about Jesus and His love.”

Alissa’s favorite thing about living in Michigan is getting to experience all of the seasons. “The weather might be a little sporadic, but it is beautiful year-round,” she said. When asked to name a new skill that she would like to master, Alissa said, “I would like to speak Spanish fluently. I know a couple of words and phrases here and there, but I would like to have full conversations.”