My name is Kimberly Smith and I’m from Tennessee. I work full-time as a government auditor. I have known that I wanted to be a CPA since my first high school accounting class. Some things just seem to come naturally, you know? I’m a numbers person, like most of you that may be reading this. Numbers don’t lie. They either are or they aren’t, and I liked that from the very beginning. It just made sense to me and I became confident that I wanted a career in accounting.
I’m a single mom. I have a teenage son–17 years old. He has autism.
Three years ago, he and I left the comfort and familiarity of our hometown. We are several hours away from family, friends, and any kind of support system. It’s just me and him. Why did I do it? So that he can have a better chance of succeeding in a better school system that is equipped to empower and prepare him for his promising future. A lot of sacrifice is made on a daily basis just to keep it all together. It takes a great deal of time and energy. It’s tiring at times. While most people have someone to depend on such as a husband, parents, siblings, or friends nearby, for the time being, it is just me and my son. Needless to say, finding the time and energy to be a full-time working professional, mom, and CPA Exam candidate isn’t easy. I don’t say this to gain pity or to make excuses of any sort; but this is the reality of the life I live.
I only know one person who passed the CPA Exam under these circumstances.
She passed all sections on the 2nd attempt, yet she had a support system for her autistic son and only studied on the weekends. It’s not that I haven’t tried. I have. Since 2010, I have attempted various sections of this exam over and over and over. I have studied using a few different review courses that bored me to tears. Still, I managed to pass 2 sections (BEC and AUD), but eventually lost them because life happened and I got busy/distracted. I do want to pass more than anything. This is for me. I am not a quitter. Most would have given up a long time ago, and some have. But, something in me just refuses to accept failure. I have had many. That is for sure. Still, I cannot let it go. I have to finish what I started.
Because my life is so demanding, turning things around is going to take something extraordinary.
Whatever it is has to be engaging, unique, and effective. That’s why I chose Roger. I love to laugh. He makes me laugh. Hysterically sometimes. His lectures are short and to the point. This is critical given all that goes on in my life. So I look forward to sharing my story and journaling this experience. I want to make sure that I am as authentic as possible. You may not be able to resonate with my journey exactly, but my hope is to inspire someone who is facing some obstacles that make passing the exam seem impossible. Against all odds, I believe I will do this. I always read where people say “If I can do it, anyone can”. Well, I plan to be the true poster child for this statement. I’m thankful to Roger CPA Review for giving me this opportunity to invest in my success. Let’s do it!
–Kimberly Smith, Guest Blogger for Roger CPA Review