As a sneak peek to our upcoming issue of Interim Report, check out Dena Dail Breece’s recollection of her journey to her current position, and see where the achievement of her CPA credential led her career in this four-part series!
If you missed it, view part three.
My name is Dena Dail Breece, MBA, CPA. I am married to the love of my life, George. We reside in historic downtown Fayetteville, NC. When I am not teaching, my personal interests include traveling with my husband, volunteering at my church and in the community, watching all sports, coastal fishing, art, music, and theater.
Throughout my journey as a CPA, the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants (NCACPA) membership has been a valuable resource. The NCACPA has offered relevant, convenient, and economical continuing professional credit. Furthermore, the NCACPA offers members a chance to become involved and to network with others.
In the spring of 2013, I began serving on the NCACPA Accounting Education Committee. It has been a wonderful service to assist with an annual seminar geared toward accounting educators with an increased opportunity to meet and network with other educators across NC. Finally, the NCACPA has made a definite commitment of reaching out to students. As co-advisor of the accounting club at Methodist University, the NCACPA have coordinated with me to host two CPA networking events on our campus. These events offered students an opportunity to meet and ask questions of CPAs, learn more about the Becker Professional Education review course, and network with their colleagues.
I am very excited about the NCACPA’s recent creation of the SOAR (Student Outreach, Advancement, and Recruitment) committee. I am honored to be a part of the inaugural SOAR committee where our mission is to reach out to accounting students to identify their needs, coordinate those needs with NCACPA efforts, and promote awareness of the CPA profession. As an avid learner, it is my desire to enable accounting students at Methodist University and throughout North Carolina to learn more about the many possibilities that comes with obtaining their CPA license. As for me, it has been a life changing transformation of which I am humbled to say that I am a part of the CPA profession.
If I could relive my journey all over again, I would have started my education and pursuit of my CPA license earlier. However, I am sure that things happened just as they were planned. I would like to relay to others that you are never too old to take that first step in becoming a CPA. Your prior experience will serve you as inner strength as you follow your own CPA journey.
On a personal note, my advice to others would be to become involved and make a difference in the lives of others. I encourage you to consider community engagement by performing volunteer work with organizations you feel a true connection to. My husband has taught me, by example, that service to humanity is the best work in life.
Through volunteer work with the NCACPA, Methodist University, Hay Street United Methodist Church finance committee member/chair, the Downtown Alliance in Fayetteville as a board member and treasurer, and with the Lafayette Society, I have found civic service to be one of the most meaningful and heartwarming experiences. As individuals, we each have an opportunity to pay it forward.
Do you have a story like Dena’s? Is your journey completely different? We want to hear about it! If you would like to be featured in an upcoming installment, send us your story at [email protected].