After learning everything I could from her that night, I was certain this was the career path I wanted to pursue. Although my career advisors were supportive, they warned me that internships and entry-level positions in forensic accounting were scarce and highly competitive. They advised me to keep audit as a viable career option. With that in mind, I engaged with the Big Four firms and secured an 8-week internship with PwC and experienced four weeks of busy season in audit and four weeks of exposure to different projects in forensic accounting. The unique opportunity to spend time in both fields ultimately enabled me to decide that forensic accounting was the right path forward.
Upon completing my Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and Master’s in Professional Accounting (MPA) from the University of Texas at Austin, I began working full-time in PwC's forensic accounting practice. During my time at PwC, I was exposed to a variety of projects including business interruption claims, investigations, and litigation support cases. I was fortunate to be mentored by a team of professionals who helped refine my forensic accounting mindset early in my career and provide the building blocks that I continue to use today. During this part of my career, I also became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Texas and earned the AICPA’s Certified Financial Forensics (CFF®) designation, both of which bolstered my technical acumen and equipped me with the expertise to succeed in the field.
After a few years at PwC, I joined Ankura Consulting Group in their forensic accounting practice. In the past six years, I focused on litigation and dispute consulting, handling cases related to mergers and acquisition disputes, economic damages, valuations, solvency, accounting fraud litigation, and investigations. The collaborative team environment, alongside my exceptionally talented colleagues, ensures that each day is challenging, stimulating, and rewarding as we work to assist our clients through complex matters.
I hope my career journey inspires those interested in pursuing a career in forensic accounting to know that there are opportunities to start in this field straight from college!