Covid times have been difficult for all, and have brought with them a new normal for most of us. For me it brought an opportunity of learning — something I have always enjoyed over the years since receiving my Chartered Accountancy degree in 2003. Be it my MDP at IIMA, getting a CISA (Certified Information System Auditor) certification, or getting certified for Forensic Audit & Fraud Prevention, all have been fulfilling and enriching experiences. These have helped me serve my clients and the boards I sit on, in a fiduciary capacity, a notch better than I did before. I have felt a changed me — a more knowledgeable me, a more confident me, playing my role with more justice to it.
My advent on the journey towards the US CPA began in the same way. A seed sown sometime before, watered by my supportive husband Sushil Parikh and sweetly cheered on by my ten-year-old twins, helped me pave a path towards the newly envisaged goal. I had travel plans in mind before COVID happened — and brought the CPA exams to India. I heard about Simandhar Education, which brought Becker Professional Education to India with the local support of Sripal Jain and his team. This team has been hands-on in their support and motivation to students.
One of the best learning experiences I have had has been with Becker as my review course provider. Peter Olinto and Tim Gearty ensured that my seventeen-year gap since my last accounting degree did not quite feel like one. I'm happy to have passed FAR — my first and the most extensive paper of the CPA — with a score of 93 in my first attempt. The journey still goes on, with three more exciting subjects to pitstop at before I reach a new milestone of professional excellence. Looking forward to a knowledge-filled, and knowledge-sharing, journey further on as well.
This piece was first written in October 2020. It's reproduced here as the opening chapter of a longer story — see A milestone achieved for how it turned out, and As the journey continues for where it leads now.