From Spreadsheets to Shutter Clicks: Why I Ditched the CPA for a CPP

Let’s rewind. I was a single mom, knee-deep in accounting spreadsheets, calculating other people’s bottom lines while quietly wondering when mine would stop bouncing.

I had over 25 years of experience, worked for a global corporation, and racked up 150 college credits—most of them in accounting. That’s basically a degree and a half, right? But because I went to DeVry University, transferring credits was like trying to exchange Monopoly money at a real bank. I had an Associate of Science degree, nearly six figures in student loan debt, and no CPA eligibility. I could pass it—I just couldn’t take it. Cue dramatic eye roll.

And here’s the kicker: even with all that experience and know-how, I couldn’t afford rent. The cheapest efficiency apartment in my area cost $1,000 more than my monthly paycheck. You read that right. I was professionally responsible for millions, but personally scraping together pennies. It was exhausting, disheartening, and frankly… maddening.

So, I stopped. Stopped waiting for the system to validate me. Stopped trying to fit into a box I’d already outgrown. And I finally listened to that persistent little voice that whispered, “Hey, remember art? Remember your camera?”

Instead of chasing a CPA, I ran straight into the arms of something that made my soul light up: photography. Specifically, the CPP—Certified Professional Photographer. I declared my candidacy in March 2025 and let me tell you: this wasn’t just a side-hustle daydream. I went all in.

Six exams. A technical image evaluation. Blood, sweat, and (thankfully waterproof) mascara. But guess what? I crushed it. I scored 95s and 100s on every exam and passed my image evaluation on the first try. On April 17, 2025, less than a month after I declared my candidacy, I officially became a Certified Professional Photographer.

It wasn’t just a certification. It was a reclamation. Of joy. Of purpose. Of a future I actually wanted to wake up to.

So no, I don’t have a CPA after my name. But CPP? That feels way more me. And this is just the beginning...