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Shelly Eubanks

Manager, Treasury & Compliance
AICPA (that's us)
Durham, NC

 

In high school, Shelly Eubanks realized she had terrible handwriting and didn’t have the stomach to be a doctor. Luckily though, she found something that she was not only good at, but also had a great passion for: accounting.

Shelly studied accounting at the University of Maryland – Asian Division in Okinawa, Japan, while working part time teaching English to high school students and adults.

Once she earned her degree, Shelly moved back to the United States and began studying for the CPA exam.

She passed it on her first try and began work at a Big 4 accounting firm. From there, Shelly spent about a year in public accounting, “which provided valuable experience, but my personality is better suited for industry.” So she made the switch by going to work for a client.

Now Shelly’s at the American Institute of CPAs, where “every day is different, which I like,” she says. “There are always new challenges to overcome and opportunities for enhanced value we can bring to our roles.”

Even though she didn’t become a writer or doctor, Shelly knows that having her CPA allows her to work in almost any field she wants. “A CPA has the groundwork to work in any industry, including government, or run their own business,” she says. “No matter how good a product or service is, if you can’t financially plan for its production or delivery, it will never make it to market.”

But here at the AICPA, we’re thankful for Shelly’s poor penmanship and weak stomach.

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