Nora started at Hawthorne and Co. CPAs as a Staff Accountant in February 2018 and has since been promoted to the role of In-Charge Accountant, leading a team of Staff Accountants and taking the lead on many of our Financial Statement engagements.

Nora knew she wanted to be an accountant from a young age. She took her first accounting class when she was 14 years old and knew she wanted to be an accountant ever since. 

She says she took a roundabout route to obtaining her CPA license that included a degree in Finance, subsequent accounting coursework, and an HR-focused job. 

After all of this hard work, she passed 3 of the 4 CPA exams and was ready for the job she had spent over half her life trying to make happen. In January 2020, after completion of the remaining licensure requirements, Nora finally saw through her life-long dream and received her CPA license.

Her favorite part of working at Hawthorne & Co. CPAs is how much she learns each day.

“Every day is new, with a different challenge. Whether meeting with clients to address their concerns or teaching new professionals how to use information to draw or support conclusions, there is never a dull moment in public accounting.”

She says keeping up on changing standards and new legislation also helps to keep her engaged, on her toes, and learning new things.

Nora believes it is important to know what you want and to go for it. She would advise young professionals to find someone – whether it’s a boss, a colleague, or another mentor – who will advocate for them, help them advocate for themselves, and help them learn to put their career goals above making other people happy.