New York Women in Accounting Scholarship

My father wakes up every morning at 6:00a.m sharp, no alarm, no reminders, no room for error. He swiftly arises from his warm bed and heads straight to the bathroom. He follows the same sequence he has for years: he looks in the mirror as he brushes his teeth, washes his face, shaves, and quickly sets under the rusted shower head. He makes the same coffee he’s always made with precision. By 6:30 he then heads out to work as the sun is still rising behind him. He gets to work 15 minutes early every day — punctuality is crucial. I had believed this routine to be discipline. I soon came to understand it was an effort at reconstructing a world that had once collapsed. When I was five years old, my dad was kidnapped. I didn’t know where he had gone, all I knew was that all our money, our food — our stability — had left with him. After this I learned how easily life could change. I knew my mother’s once smiling face sank into one of despair, my siblings playfulness turned into responsibility and dread. Months passed, we sold all our belongings to scrape by. Our home had turned into an empty house that was filled not by furniture, but by uncertainty. Security did not return alongside my dad; it was rebuilt throughout years of struggle in a new country. In this project of reconstruction, I came to find my own tool: numbers. In a home where nothing was certain, numbers were dependable. They did not disappear or change without reason. Throughout my early academic years, when teachers asked what my favorite subject was, I always had the same elated answer:“math.” In this sense my mindset has been abiding. Many may dislike the rigidity of math; they find it to be limiting. But that same rigidness brought me comfort. To me, equations were loyal, the structure clear, the logic undeniable. There was either a right or wrong answer, no room for error. I discovered this in third grade, I was first learning fractions and multiplication. My teacher guided the class through maps to solve the problems. As I mastered those maps through repetition I developed a sense of trust. By following the clear map, it consistently brought me to the destination I sought. As I grew up, and having working experience my appreciation for numbers has only deepened. The last couple of summers I have worked an internship as an FP&A Analyst assistant and precision became more than an academic and preference but also a way to ground myself. Similar to my dad’s morning routine, it brought about consistency where there never was. This has allowed me to face instability with patience rather than fear. I no longer feel paralyzed in the face of uncertainty as I have come to see that I create structure. Numbers have taught me to make a blueprint for my life, one that actively guides me with clarity, adaptability, and the opportunity to rebuild.

Whereas most people tend to perceive the profession of accounting as one that consists of stiff rules and numbers, I consider it an art form of storytelling. Having grown up in the vibrant and entrepreneurial neighborhoods of East Elmhurst and Corona in Queens, New York, I have witnessed the life blood of these neighborhoods through the family-owned businesses, street vendors, and immigrants chasing their dreams. The challenge that I have witnessed among these businesses is the failure of some bright and diligent individuals in understanding the cash flow and making sense out of their financial information. This realization was made through these vibrant streets where I understood that numbers are a universal language and the one that makes the difference between success and failure in business. The depth of my love for the discipline increased tremendously at high school level when I got the role of CEO of our Virtual Enterprise Company. The experience of heading the business made me come out of the academic teachings and directly face the real-world operations. Soon enough, it became clear to me that all big decisions from marketing drives to expansion of our virtual products relied totally on the correctness of our financial reports. While working along with the finance department of our firm, I found out how we need to move beyond just reading the numbers and look at the bigger picture. The balance sheet was not just an asset-liability statement, but a performance record of our past decisions and a guide to our future. Taking up this program at Pace University will be the next necessary step to achieving my goal of becoming a CPA. The financial world has traditionally been an industry with a lack of diversity among women in senior positions and even more so when it comes to Latinas. My plan is to change that by obtaining a degree in accounting. This profession interests me as it is a very active field which provides the chance to delve into other industries, resolve intricate financial issues, and promote business ethics. Ultimately, my career in the field of accounting will be all about making an impact. With a degree from Pace University under my belt, I plan on utilizing my knowledge to make connections between business financial strategy and community financial literacy. Whether I’m auditing a large company or offering assistance to minority-run small businesses to better understand their tax structure, my main objective will always be the same, translating numbers into winning strategies. The award I have been offered will give me the necessary funds to be able to concentrate on my academic studies and CPA exam prep.