Everyone A PLACE FOR


The unique story of Francesca Spillman – nontraditional student, wife, mother, immigrant, OSCPA student member and future CPA.


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OSCPA student member Francesca Spillman is going the extra mile to become a CPA, an extra 10,555 miles to be exact. Spillman is a nontraditional accounting student at


Oklahoma State University (OSU), but her unique story begins across the globe on the island of Mauritius, a small country located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Eastern Africa. She grew up on the beautiful island, which paints a true


picture of tropical paradise. With its many lagoons, palm- fringed beaches, turquoise water and coral reefs, it’s easy to see why she still considers herself an island girl at heart. She was brought up in a traditional family – her father a schoolteacher, a stay-at-home mom devoted to taking care of the family and an older brother to offer sibling guidance along the way. In her years spent in Mauritius, she played sports, went to the beach and attended church with her family every Saturday. After high school, Spillman began working at the


Mediterranean Shipping Company, which happened to be in the same building as the United States (U.S.) Embassy. Little did she know, her future husband was just one floor away,


6 CPAFOCUS July/August 2021


working as a U.S. Marine guarding the Embassy. With destiny and fate on their side, Carl and Francesca


Spillman met in October of 1992. Te two began dating and Spillman got a true taste of American culture by attending many U.S. Marine functions with Carl. Te two were married in January of 1994 and, shortly after, moved to Perry, Okla. to settle down in Carl’s hometown when she was just 19. As a new bride, in a new country with a new culture, there


were a lot of adjustments to handle. “It was a lot of newness, but it was helpful to have good in- laws and a welcoming community that embraced me,” Spillman said. She smiled recalling learning to drive for the first time and recounting getting accustomed to Oklahoma cuisine, which is quite different from the dishes of her home culture. Despite the cultural and personal changes she faced,


Spillman is proud of her not-so-classic tale of the “island- turned-country girl,” adopting American culture and country living over the years and being a devoted mom to her children, Gabriel and Heidi.


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