estyca-blog

[estyca-blog]

BIO & INTRO:

Hi, I'm Estefania Cruz-Alvarez I go by Esty. I'm an Accounting student at Florida International University. I will be graduating this semester, not sure how I managed to push this course to the end but here we are. This will likely be my toughest class this semester since Reading and Writing aren't my forté, my strength academically has always been Math or Science. I was born & raised in Miami, FL. My parents are Cuban & Colombian. I played softball from the age of 5 through High School. I currently work as a Financial Advisor for MassMutual. When I am not working or at school, I'm spending time with my family either at my aunt's or my grandmother's house.

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EDUCATION / MAJOR / CAREER GOALS:

I've had my share of "career changes" while going through school. I graduated high school and went to UCF at 17 years old with hopes of becoming a Disney Imagineer. After a year of frustration with the undergrad system and a chemistry class that made me question my entire academic ability, I decided engineering was not for me. After moving back from Orlando I stayed away from school for a while but ultimately realized I needed a degree to progress in just about any field. I thought about a culinary degree since I had always love to cook but was discouraged by the idea of having to work in a kitchen for the rest of my life. I love to cook but I usually do it to relax or escape for a while, I don't think a good escape from cooking is more cooking. As the following school semester was approaching I had to pick something, I couldn't waste another semester not going to school. I picked Business rationalizing with "it's always something you can fall back on." My first semester back at school in over a year and I was blown away. I had amazing professors that made me love what I was studying just because of their passion and energy, so much so that I switched my major to Economics on the sole purpose that I liked that one class and how the professor taught. I soon realized that I only switched because I enjoyed the professor and his teaching style, had nothing to do with the actual material. So here I am back to square one, three years wasted. As I pick my classes for the following semester I realize what was in front of me the whole time, Accounting. I had been working on my dad's books since I was 15 but never really thought of it as a career. It is crazy how things come full circle. I will be graduating this May with a Bachelors in Accounting and a Minor in Business Analytics.

My goal is to have my CPA & MBA in the next 5 years, work for a small/midsize accounting & financial services firm till my late20's/early 30's, then open my own practice that specializes in small local businesses.

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RHETORIC AND WRITING EXPERIENCES:

I don't think I have ever written a paper, poem, or discussion that wasn't graded or mandatory. My extent of writing is probably emails to my clients and co-workers, and even then it's mostly in a bulleted format so the message it is clear and to the point.

[estyca-blog]

SOMETHING I WROTE THAT I'M PROUD OF:

My essay for Passport to Success. Passport to Success is a series of assignment the School of Accounting makes you complete as your taking some of your first upper-level accounting courses. It really made me think about why I chose Accounting as my field of study and what I planned on doing in the future.

[estyca-blog]

STRENGTHS AS A WRITER / RHETORICIAN:

I know how to use spell check and a thesaurus when I use the same word too many times(hahaa!)

Very concise and to the point, sometimes too much.

[estyca-blog]

ISSUES AS A WRITER/ RHETORICIAN/ STUDENT:

Getting my thoughts on paper/computer

Communicating my ideas and thoughts accurately

Punctuation & long sentences- I tend to ramble and not know where to put the punctuation or when to cut off a sentence.

Organization- since it hard for me to get my thoughts out most of the time I normally just throw everything out all at once and it tends to be a big mess of words and thoughts.

Just “Getting By”-For years I relied on my natural academic ability to get by, instead of striving to be the best I was complacent

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AREAS OF EXPERTISE/SPECIAL INTERESTS:

Cooking- different styles and cuisines 

Traveling- I ’ll hop on a plane to just about anywhere at the drop of a hat

Technology- might not be IT but 99% of the time I can solve the problem or figure out how to

Learning everything I can, while I still can;

I took on a Business Analytics Minor to dive more in-depth into two of my favorite things technology and business

I have various professional certifications and licenses.

Currently working on my ChFC designation.

[estyca-blog]

SOME OF MY FAVORITE TEXTS (SHOWS, FILMS, BOOKS, WEBSITES, ETC.):

Harry Potter Series (books & movies) 

The Fountainhead 

The Outsiders

Aladdin

Greys Anatomy

Parks & Rec

New Girl

Once Upon a Time

Investopedia