All For Family

As I write my CMA story, my little baby girl is sleeping in my arms. Being a mother and having a professional career is a bit tough but is so fulfilling.

My dream to have an international license started after becoming a CPA. I never got a chance to pursue it until I had spare time during my break from work because I have to take care of the little one growing inside my belly.

I inquired from a CMA friend about the steps on how to get the certification. She advised me to do self study but I thought it would be difficult to go through this by myself. So I searched the net and found Insights Financial Review Services. I was worried about the fees but the school provided negotiable terms.

I decided to schedule the exam in May/June 2016 testing window. I thought that will be the best time because my baby was due on last week of December 2015. Everything was going smoothly until one day, few weeks before giving birth I woke up with half of my face paralyzed. I was diagnosed with bell’s palsy.

Bell’s palsy is a facial paralysis on one side of the face. Its cause is not clear but pregnant women are three times more prone to this illness. Some say it is due to a virus, others say it is due to exposure to cold wind or aircon or the cause can be idiopathic or unknown. In my case, my right side was affected. It felt like I was punched in the face. My right eye could not blink, there were no tears and it could not close on its own. I had to use eye drops to keep it moist and I had to tape it at night to keep it shut. My right side of the lips has no movement. I cannot frown or smile. Eating, drinking and speaking become a challenge. I stopped my CMA review for a while.

Giving birth to a baby distracted me from my bell’s palsy. I am so happy and thankful that my baby girl is healthy. However, it is difficult to take care of the baby and study at the same time. Having a newborn and a facial paralysis, I had second thoughts whether to continue my CMA review. But I said to myself, no matter what the result will be I have to finish what I started.

With the little time left before the exam I went back to Insights. I have to recall the previous topics and catch up with the lessons. I wanted to take only one part during the exam period. However, I was already registered and if I will not take the other part it will be considered failed. So I have no choice but to face the battle.

I have a lot of worries before the exam. I was worried that my eyes will get dry, I was worried I have to pee during the exam which will consume a lot of time, I was worried that if I fail I have to start over again. I studied hard and prayed harder to pass the exam so I can save time, money and effort.

I took part 1 and 2 exams with two weeks gap on June 2016. Waiting for the result was a bit of agony and it took more than a month. I was about to sleep that time when I heard a sound from my phone. When I checked my phone, it was an email from IMA. The result for one exam part came in and it was a thrilling moment. After few minutes, another email came in and it was for the other exam part. I was fortunate to pass both parts of the exam.

Having the CMA title has been an advantage in my search for a new job. I am hopeful I can use this professional certificate to advance in my career and to give my baby a brighter future.

I will be forever grateful to my ever supportive husband, family, friends and the review school.

About the Author:

Agnes A. Simbre, CPA, CMA is a BS Accountancy graduate from Polytechnic University of the Philippines and is currently working as a Financial Planning Analyst in a BPO industry.