Megan Fredrickson, CPA “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Megan Fredrickson, CPA, a senior tax manager with Jenson & Company, CPAs, P.C. in Edmond, Oklahoma, did not follow the traditional path to become a CPA. Fredrickson attended college after

graduating high school, but chose to get married after her sophomore year and did not return to school in the fall. “Life took over and I had a daughter to

raise,” Fredrickson said. “When my family moved to a new town for my husband’s job, I found myself working for a CPA firm.” Fredrickson worked her way up from an

administrative assistant to a tax preparer, while also welcoming a son into her family. Lana Van Cleave, CPA, CGMA, a former

colleague and chief financial officer with Asbury Machine Corporation in Tonkawa, Oklahoma, said, “Megan tackled every project she was given with a willingness to learn. She cared for our clients and desired to do her very best job for each one.” Fredrickson, an OSCPA member for four

Megan’s Trail mix

Is there a quirky talent you wish you had? Doing Common Core math

What’s the one movie you can watch over and over again? Top Gun

If you could have an endless supply of anything, what would it be? Hot Tamales candy

Are you famous for anything? My sugar cookies March/April 2016 CPAFOCUS 13

years, made the decision to return to school and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from Oklahoma State University.

“Balancing my family needs with my

husband’s shift work schedule and studying was a big challenge, but together, we were able to make it happen,” Fredrickson said. Fredrickson, her husband and two children

were overjoyed the day she was presented with her CPA certificate. She said the entire family worked together and made sacrifices so she could accomplish her goal. “I overcame the obstacles of returning to

school with limited funding and juggling our busy family schedule to accomplish my goal,” Fredrickson said. “Being a CPA has enabled me to perform better for my employers, assist clients with many tax and business decisions and contribute to my local community.” “My hope is that my children and others

who watched me fight so hard for this accomplishment will be inspired to work hard and achieve their own dreams.”