KyCPA member spotlights: Meet Cynthia Borden and Kaitlyn Cummins
Issue 5
December 18, 2019
Cynthia Borden
- Senior Tax Associate, BKD LLP, Louisville
- 2015 KyCPA Educational Foundation recipient
- Currently serves on KyCPA's Accounting Careers Opportunities Committee
What inspired you to become a CPA?
I switched careers to become a CPA because there were so many more job possibilities and opportunities for growth and advancement than in my prior career field.
How did receiving a KyCPA Scholarship help you become a CPA?
Receiving a KyCPA scholarship was a great honor as well as being tremendously helpful financially. I had quit my full-time job to go back to school to take the coursework necessary to become a CPA and being selected out of so many outstanding applicants across the state helped affirm that I had made the right decision to pursue this new career. (Click here for scholarship application deadline and information.)
What’s the best aspect of your job?
The best aspect of my job is the people I get to work with. I am surrounded by outstanding individuals who inspire, encourage, and support me. We all work together as a team to take on challenges and achieve our goals and we also find ways to have a little fun while we are doing it.
Being a CPA, what opportunities did this career path open for you?
I have had opportunities to mentor and train new staff members, recruit new employees, and develop my leadership and networking skills. Being a CPA has also allowed me to promote the profession I love to college students by serving on a KyCPA committee.
Any words of wisdom regarding the CPA Exam?
I would recommend making the exam a priority as soon as you graduate. Create a study plan and a timeline of when you plan to take each exam. Eliminate as many distractions as possible and give yourself sufficient time to study the material for each exam - give yourself more time for studying than you think you will need. The exam covers a lot of material but if you are well prepared you will be fine.
Kaitlyn Cummins
- Senior Tax Associate, MCM CPAs & Advisors LLP, Louisville
- 2017 KyCPA Educational Foundation recipient
How did KyCPA help you become a CPA?
KyCPA had a strong presence on my college campus which is why I initially started going to their events. I attended Q&A panels that consisted of newly licensed CPAs who were there to explain their role as a CPA, give tips on studying, and answer any other questions I had. They also hosted CPA exam workshops which detailed the application process and explained what review materials were available. (Click here for information on upcoming CPA Exam Workshops.)
What is the best aspect of your job?
It may sound cliche, but the best aspect of my job is definitely the people that I am surrounded with everyday. From the first day of my internship, MCM made it clear that they were here to motivate their staff to pass the CPA exams. The culture of the office encouraged me to commit myself to becoming a CPA so that I could set even higher goals for myself and my career.
Being a CPA, what opportunities did this career path open for you?
Even though I am newly licensed CPA, I have already noticed some of the benefits to being a CPA. Passing the CPA exams required multiple hours of studying each day. Now that I have more free time, I am able to attend networking events with other professionals in the community and start build lasting relationships with other CPA's. I am also starting to look into what industry I would like to focus my work on and start taking my career to the next level.
Any words of wisdom regarding the CPA Exam?
My best piece of advice is to be patient and constantly remind yourself why you want to become a CPA. It is easy to get very overwhelmed with the entire process so you must take things one day, one review section, and one test at a time. Passing the CPA exams is extremely time consuming and takes a great amount of hard work, but it is the most rewarding feeling once you find out that you have passed your last exam!