NATCHEZ &045; The only thing on the office walls that actually belongs to the new employee at Silas Simmons and Co. proudly bears his name.

With only three days on the job and about a month since graduation, Joey Geter, 24, hasn’t had time to decorate his personal space with more than the framed diploma.

A Natchez native, it was last year’s internship with the accounting firm that opened the door to the now permanent job.

&uot;I never thought I’d be coming back here,&uot; Geter said. &uot;It just kind of happened.&uot;

The Natchez High graduate spent six years at Ole Miss earning his undergraduate degree and masters in accounting. Last spring, during tax season, Geter took a break from school to intern with Silas Simmons.

&uot;I liked everyone here and I got a pretty good idea of everything, but mainly did tax work,&uot; he said.

As an intern during the accountant’s busiest time of the year, Geter said he worked around 54 hour weeks.

Now, the faces are familiar, but getting into the swing of a full-time job is taking some time. The first three days of work have been spent on the finances of several small companies and preparing for the CPA exam, which he’ll take in about two months.

&uot;(Interning here) gave me a huge advantage,&uot; Geter said. &uot;When you intern you’ve already gotten your feet wet and you understand how it works. I’m further ahead.&uot;

The plan wasn’t always accounting though. Geter started college as an engineering major and tried his hand with some coaching classes before settling into accounting.

Though he said, right now he’s still missing Ole Miss and Oxford, returning to Natchez has its benefits.

&uot;I already knew everybody,&uot; he said. &uot;It’s nice coming to a place and starting to work when you know just about everybody.&uot;

Though he’s not sure what the future will hold, he’s happy now.

&uot;I like it. If I could, I would probably stay here,&uot; Geter said. &uot;I don’t know what’s going to happen 10 years from now.&uot;