Before Martha Ramirez, CPA, Tax Senior at Moss Adams in Yakima, discovered the accounting profession, she was working as a program coordinator for Washington State University Extension Program, where she provided nutrition education to under-served youth and parents.

“The program provided education to low income families on how to eat better, how to be healthy, not just physically, but also emotionally. It was a very good program and I really enjoyed the complexities that came with running it, managing 15 different schools and over 5,000 K-5 students in Yakima,” said Martha, who had been taking the first two years of her college degree one class at a time, studying education.

Frustrated with not understanding enough about her own taxes, Martha decided to enroll in a Liberty Tax course and soon found that she enjoyed the process of preparing tax returns. For two tax seasons, Martha worked part-time at Liberty Tax, working with clients who desperately needed to get refunds.

“Helping them get a refund and also prepare and plan for the upcoming year was really rewarding. I was helping them do something that they could not figure out on their own,” said Martha.

The experience was so fulfilling that she decided to quit her full-time job and transferred from Yakima Valley College to Central Washington University to pursue an accounting degree. In spring 2015, Martha was awarded a scholarship from the Washington CPA Foundation, and she graduated in December 2015.

“When I received the scholarship, I also became a student member of the WSCPA,” recalls Martha. “I took advantage of various networking events that the WSCPA hosted, even taking CPE before I had my CPA license. Through conversations at one of these events, I met representatives from Clark Nuber, a firm whose culture really resonated with me. Eventually, I was hired on there.”

Martha moved to Western Washington with her family and began to sit for the CPA exam. She completed all parts of the exam by September 2016.

Last year, Martha returned to Yakima with her family, and she feels as if she has returned home.

“My parents and I immigrated to the US, to Yakima, from Mexico when I was about four or five. I’m the first to graduate and get a bachelor's degree in my family. And now I’m the first to become a CPA. After about three and a half years of being on the west side, we realized we missed our life in Yakima. Now, we're home again.”

Reflecting on receiving a scholarship from the Washington CPA Foundation, Martha said, “I don't know where I would be had I not received the scholarship. At the time, my husband and I were making a lot of sacrifices in order to help me pay for my studies out of pocket. This scholarship was something that I really needed to finish up my last year. It made it possible for me to graduate.

“As I progress through my career, I want to be able to give back in the same way that others were so generous towards me. Not only has the WSCPA supported somebody who is now part of the profession, but you've also supported somebody who in the future is committed to give back as well.”

Martha is currently a member of the WSCPA Yakima Chapter Board, and holds committee positions with Habitat for Humanity of Yakima County and New Leaders Yakima County. A member of Yakima Rotaract, she looks forward to getting more involved in the future through mentorship and community service.

In preparing for the next stage of her career and life, Martha shared the words that inspire her to push forward when she faces challenges.

“I try to remember what Marianne Williamson wrote in her poem, Our Deepest Fear, ‘Our deepest fear is not that we're inadequate. / Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. / It is our light, not our darkness / That most frightens us.’

“These words have helped me when I feel fear or doubt creeping in and telling me that I should sit down and accept whatever path happens to be in front of me. It encourages me to push my boundaries, to do more, to be more, because…why not? Why shouldn’t I? Why shouldn’t you?

“It started in that moment that I jumped head first into a career in public accounting, and has helped me through various stages of my life. That poem just reassures me that I can and should strive to achieve my dreams, whatever they may be.”

This article appeared in the fall 2019 issue of the Washington CPA Magazine. Read more here.