Ashliegh is a new NINJA CPA Blogger.
Hello future CPAs! My name is Ashliegh and I am from Eureka, located beautiful Northern California.
I was born and raised in Humboldt County. Numbers and research have always been my forte and when I was thirteen I realized becoming an accountant would be the coolest job!
In May of 2010, I graduated from Humboldt State Universitys School of Business. I had been working in a small accounting firm as a bookkeeper for four years leading up to graduation and did not feel there was room to grow and be challenged. It was time for me to fly the coop.
Venturing down to San Luis Obispo, California for more schooling seemed like the best approach. I met a lot of interesting people in CalPolys master program that, gasp, loved accounting as much as I did. The year was a swirl of exams, friendships, essays, internships and quite possibly the biggest challenge we had faced to date.
By some miracle we all survived! In June of 2011, I became a proud graduate of CalPolys Masters of Taxation program. Missing family, old friends, and small town life I decided to move back to good old Humboldt County.
Two months passed. Summer was coming to an end and it was time for me start getting serious about getting my CPA. I started preparing to sit for the CPA exam and then received amazing news. I had been offered a position as an Accounting Associate at a full-service local accounting firm! Of course, I could not say no.
As many of us know, the CPA Candidate life can be rough. Finding enough time to work, study, volunteer, and still have a social life is a constant struggle. I have lost my way more than once and have been discouraged by multiple No Credit scores. Luckily, I have a wonderful support system from family, friends and my co-workers. Support and determination keep us going.
After about a year of studying for the CPA exam, a wonderful CPA told me about Another71. It has been amazing to see the numerous CPA NINJAs who refuse to give up, suggest strategies, and end up showing these exams who is boss. I decided to give the NINJA Notes a try along with a video course, and in late November of 2012, I passed REG!
I am now more determined than ever to get my CPA license. Fine tuning my studying process and maintaining my personal life has been key. I am still constantly tweaking my study schedule to see what works best. We are not all the same and need to find a system that works for us.
My next exam to tackle is BEC on April 21st! It will be a glorious end to tax season.
Best of luck to everyone and keep up the determination!
Ashliegh
