What made me want to become a CPA? Well, I have to acknowledge that the 18-year-old me was neither wise nor worldly. When I matriculated to the University of Wisconsin–Madison, I had no specific career plans. After earning an “A” in Accounting 101 and witnessing the stock market crash of 1987, I realized accountants are needed in any economy, declared accounting as my major, and applied to the business school.

The accounting classes were like learning a new language while immersed in a foreign culture. My parents were academics, and I had no background in business. Nothing had context for me, but I was determined to stick with my first choice. When another recession hit as I graduated college, I felt lucky that Coopers & Lybrand (now Pricewaterhouse-Coopers) hired me as an auditor. The summer after I graduated, someone asked me what I’d be doing in my new job. I had no idea.

Read the full original article from CPA Journal, here.