Employer Relations sat down with Kamille Myric Español to discuss her experience being named the May 2021 Common Final Examination (CFE) National Gold Medallist
When Kamille received the phone call that she’d not only passed the May 2021 CFE but also been named the National Gold Medallist, she couldn’t believe it. “Walking out on day one, I wasn’t even sure if I passed,” recalls Kamille. “I actually had to wait for our CPA facilitator at work to come in and explain exactly what the call was about.”
Working as a Financial Reporting Accountant for Ovintiv Inc., Kamille was supported every step of the way in her CPA Professional Education Program (CPA PEP) journey, from Core 1 to the CFE. “I got two months off to prepare for the CFE. I was able to get time off even during the busiest months,” she says.
Kamille’s mentor also connected her to other recent CFE writers so she could get tips from them, too. Because of Ovintiv’s support, she didn’t feel like she was missing out by not being at a firm.
Kamille’s colleagues at Ovintiv were so excited to hear of Kamille’s achievement and celebrate with her. “We were overwhelmed with joy. We are excited and happy for Kamille. The entire company is proud of her. She has worked very hard and deserves a lot of credit,” says Rohit Kasbekar CPA, CMA, Director, Cost Accounting, Ovintiv Inc.
If Kamille were to do anything differently, it would be to focus more on self-care. “I had a burnout closer to the exam, like three weeks before,” she says.
She got in touch with her Capstone 1 facilitator, who’s also a tutor. The facilitator told Kamille she needed to take more breaks, rest, and spend time doing activities she enjoyed. “I took more breaks, I took better care of myself, and it definitely helped my mindset going into the CFE. I walked in feeling more confident,” she says.
For Kamille, being named the National Gold Medallist is a reflection of her hard work and dedication to CPA PEP. “It’s proof that all my effort added up. All that hard work, all that time I spent working on all those cases, reading all those chapters, it just paid off in the end,” she says.
Top five tips from a National Gold Medallist
For those who want to succeed on the CFE, Kamille has some tips:
- Create a realistic study schedule. Make sure your study schedule challenges you to work harder but is realistic enough that you’re not placing a heavy burden on yourself; otherwise, you might experience burnout. If you realize your schedule isn’t working for you, don’t be afraid to take a couple of practice cases off your list and replace them with a break!
- Be your own cheerleader. Focus on boosting your confidence in the weeks leading up to the CFE. Instead of thinking about all the things you don’t know, think about all the things you already know because that will make you feel more confident. Do anything that will make you feel good and feel confident going in, too.
- Take good care of yourself. Take breaks, and don’t be too hard on yourself. You’ve gone through so much already. You deserve that break, even if you think you don’t have time. It’s also important to identify when you have burnout. Look for signs that something’s different from your regular stress levels during this time and try to do something about it, like taking a break or reaching out to someone.
- Don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone’s at a different level. Don’t stress yourself out if you’re not on the same level as another person or if that person had more time to study. It’s one thing to compare yourself with another person as a way to improve, but don’t use it to put yourself down.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Having another person’s perspective, like someone who’s already gone through the same stress of the same exam, can make a big difference on your preparation. It doesn’t even need to be technical or case writing help. It could just be emotional support. You don’t need to suffer by yourself. There are a lot of resources and a lot of people to talk to, like mentors and tutors.
The views expressed in this post are those of Kamille Myric Español.
