 	I believe that I have always been destined to enter the field of Accounting, yet arriving at this conviction has been circuitous.  As a child, I was introspective and inquisitive.  My mom has recounted the story that I would sit in deep silence in the backseat of the car, and when she would ask me what I was doing, my response would be: “I’m finking”, as I could not yet pronounce the “th” sound in “thinking”.  During the first ten years following high school graduation I pursued a career in behavioral health, in part because human behavior fascinated me and in part by default.  People had always told me that I put them at ease and that they felt comfortable talking to me due to my non-threatening manner.  Ultimately, however, I concluded that the field of counseling was not compatible with my personality and did not enable me to maximize my skills and talents.  
As I began to examine myself and my attributes, everything I discovered pointed in the direction of Accounting.  I am a highly meticulous and organized individual, and I adore data, facts, figures, and information.  In my undergraduate studies in Psychology, my favorite course was Statistics.  I am analytical almost to a fault, and I enjoy analyzing data and using it to draw conclusions and formulate new ideas.  During an internship as a counselor at a transitional living facility, I learned that rather than leading discussion groups with clients, I much preferred a task that I created to help the agency with their organization and information management.   I designed a database to track client attendance to numerous groups and to organize and assess agency demographic information from previous years.  However, I feel that my counseling background is an asset to me as I enter the field of accounting, as it enhanced my skills in working with other individuals and communicating effectively with others.   

Both my background in counseling and my experience as the manager of a small business are assets to my ability to work effectively as a member of a team.  These experiences helped to develop my ability to work well with others towards a common goal.  I am naturally a good listener, and I’m skilled not only in hearing what is literally being said but also in capturing the relevant information and interpreting it accurately.  The managerial role has required daily conflict resolution involving customer disputes and complaints.  I am diplomatic, and I pride myself in being able to create compromises and solutions in which most if not all involved feel satisfied with the outcome.  
