I started working as a concession stand clerk when I was a teenager. Growing up and into college, I learned the importance of hard work in the service industry. A waitress at Mexican Village, a bus person at the Village Inn, a bartender and cocktail waitress at several places—even a crew trainer at McDonald’s!—I understood high-pressure work well before I got into my career in accounting.

As the controller at Stokes Wagner, I manage the firm’s budget and accounts payable for all six offices across the country. The San Diego office is the closest to my home, where I love to spend time with my animals. I keep horses and a dog on the couple of acres I own in the hills, and over the years, I’ve had over 100 animals. I cultivated a passion for animal care and gardening on my grandparents’ farm in Roseau, Minnesota. To this day, I love using that passion for caring for my own animals and property.