Your Statement Questionnaire

Here are just a few things our writer would need from you to begin:

1) The school and specific program you are applying to;

Texas A&M, Masters of Accountancy

2) Are there any requirements for this essay that your program requests? (word count,
specific prompt, etc)
Yes, Texas A&M (Essay describing professional and educational goals in at least 500
words.)

3) Please, attach your Resume or CV;

See attached.

4) The moment from your life or influential person (or both) that inspired you to pursue
this field of study and career path;
I am six of seven children. Four of us girls work in accounting. My two younger sisters
are twins and live in Portland Maine, both have Masters in Accounting. Accounting,
seems to be our number one, go to for conversation. All of us seem to really enjoy the
field, gaining knowledge and growing in it. I feel like accounting has a lot of layers. All
businesses require it to operate. Good ones need it to be successful. Companies should
recognize that their accounting teams’ knowledge or lack of can hurt them drastically.
My sister and her fiancé own a bar and restaurant in down town Portland. She still
works full time but does his books on the side we always talk numbers. I have a sister in
Biloxi that works for an investment firm. Her and her husband also own a company, we
always talk investing and tax. My finance owns a AC & Plumbing company. He is always
asking me questions and I often do not know the answers. It would be GREAT to have
the answers for him when he ask them.

So this story could go to question 4 or 5. This program offers a course in forensic

accounting. Years ago I worked a lumber company. One of our customers was a small
mom and pop lumber resale store. I reached out due to lack of payment. After several
calls and attempts to collect, I finally got on the phone with the owner. He expressed his
sincerest apologies. He went on to tell me “We had one girl handling all our books. We
trusted her so never questioned anything!” Come to find out she was
Embezzling money from them. She had embezzled hundreds of thousands over the
course of years, she had been there.” How often does that happen? Why does it
happen? For me, it points to lack of knowledge! Just sad! I would love to make sure this
never happens to anyone.

5) What you hope to learn or gain (experience, networking, advanced knowledge,

specialized knowledge of some kind, etc.) by pursuing this degree, residency or
fellowship; .
One of the programs highlights that “students will obtain hands-on experience in researching
and evaluating technical accounting, tax, and audit issues.” This is extremely exciting to me! I
have worked in accounting for years. I work hands on with several different auditors annually. I
have never been on the auditing side. I would really enjoy digging into different companies,
seeing how things are done and where I see improvements can be made.  I also really hope to
gain advanced and specialized knowledge in tax accounting...
Tax law and regulation appears to be ever changing I would like to know the staples. I also
would like to have a better understanding of all the different types of taxes being reported,
filed and paid on every side of the house. AP,Payroll,AR. Example: Sales tax, worker comp
tax, County, property……The list is pretty extensive. I have recognized that each State
varies on its requirement for example, Ohio requires some to register and file a CAT tax. I
want to know that my company is always compliant. I would hate to know that I am
responsible for a large fee due to my lack of knowledge.

6) The specific qualities that made you chose the school and program to which you are
applying (if applicable);
I was looking for a Masters in Accounting that I could do remotely. I actually am a Bama
fan and they just beat my team, I should had taken them off my list that day!. Haha…..

I believe that the MAC program at Texas A&M offers me the best opportunity to obtain the
knowledge and tools that I need in order pursue my CPA.

7) Your short- and long-term plans for the future as it pertains to this field of study
and/or your career;
I am wanting to pursue my CPA next with hopes to open a CPA firm.

8) Any hardships or obstacles you had to overcome in the pursuit of your education;
A lot!!!!! I am one of seven. I love to learn but never felt smart. There is a book by Max
Lucado, You Are Special. That book has resonated with me tremendously as an adult. I
always felt like I was the dumb kid! My parents are both French, my mom’s Dad did not
even speak English. Strike one for me, I had to take speech in Kindergarten and first
grade because I didn’t pronounce words correct. Strike two, my parents were told I was
not catching on and had me repeat second grade, that in itself sets a kid up to have low
self-esteem, your pretty much telling them out the gate, they are dumb. My parents
divorced when I was 5. My mom went on to marry a man in the Airforce. We moved
constantly. I went to 10 different schools over a 12 year period. I remember in 4 thgrade
we lived in Gulfport Mississippi. That year I had a teacher that would go down the rows
and have each student read a paragraph out of the book, out loud. I would just sit and
cringe waiting on my turn. I was so scared that I would read to slow or mispronounce a
common word and be made fun of. That was my childhood. I still joke to this day that I
can’t spell because I missed half of the spelling lessons by switching schools so often. . In
High School, I took all college prep courses because it was my desire to go to college.
My senior year in High School my mom was no longer married. I was attending Biloxi
High and my dad lived in Maine. She said she was finished raising kids, paid for a month
on the house we lived in, she up and moved to Washington State. I was on my own, I
had to figure it out. I worked two jobs for years. Slowly……..took classes as I had time
and could afford it. Early on I was a minor, not emancipated so my dad’s income was
used, I could not get financial aid.
I finally got my bachelor’s degree in my forty’s
working fulltime, paying as I went and taking care of my family. My desire to pursue
higher education still stands.

9) Anything else you want to address in your personal statement (time off, low test
scores, low GPA, etc.).
It took me a long time to get my bachelor’s degree! I worked full time and paid as I
went. The one course I failed was in ultra sound. At the time one of my best friends little
girls was dying from brain cancer. They were traveling back and forth from Bay Minette
AL to Houston. My husband and I put together different fund raisers on her behalf to try
to reduce their financial burdens. I was very disappointed in myself when I didn’t pass
that class! I honestly beat myself up for months over it. In the grand scheme I needed to
give myself grace. My time was limited and had been better utilized. The 5K Race we put
on raised awareness and lots of money on Carlin’s behalf. Carlin passed within a few
weeks after the race. One of her last experiences was feeling the love of community,
friends and family. That is what life is ultimately about.