Crista Lopez
Audit Manager
KPMG LLP
Los Angeles, CA USA
“I am excited every day to teach my staff and motivate them to learn and continue on their career path, and I have learned that I need to do the same for myself as I grow as a professional.”
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
I applied to colleges! Half of my household didn't believe I should go to college, but I applied anyways and they supported my decision regardless of their misconceptions.
I changed my major a total of three times. I started as an engineering major and quickly realized that it wasn't my path. I changed it one more time before I landed on accounting.
College was hard to navigate without a support system. So I became involved with a program that motivated me to keep working, mentoring, and helping others. So much so I decided to work in higher-ED.
I decided to get a PhD to become a professor and motivate students to join professional careers! As such, I forewent looking for any full-time jobs.
I found out later that the accounting schools I was looking at required work experience. With the year almost over, I decided to do a master's program, so that I could get another change as a job.
After a while, I would do my day to day job but I was having trouble being motivated. So I became more involved at my firm and it helped me reconnect with what I was missing.
Now I am excited every day to teach my staff and motivate them to learn and continue on their career path, and I have learned that I need to do the same for myself as I grow as a professional.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
James A Foshay Learning Center
James A Foshay Learning Center
Career
Audit Manager
I work with my team to deliver quality audits to our clients, all the while teaching and fostering our team to learn.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Numbers
Education
Learning / Being Challenged
Day to Day
I work with my teams to develop the best approach for our audit (whether it be testing accountings or our client's processes and controls). We develop the approach together and execute. I foster their learning and teach them as much as I know and I look for others to do the same for me. My day includes a lot of internal calls and meetings with our team and firm but also with the client, as we are a client facing industry.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for high school students
Talk to people and ask questions. If you never ask, you will never receive answers to the questions you have. As such for every opportunity that comes up in your life, ask and try to see how it coincides with your belief system and what you want out of life. People are always willing to answer.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Friends:
"There is no place for someone like us in the places where you want to be."
Challenges I Overcame
First-Generation College Student
