Why is the Teche Area important to you?

Even though I did not graduate in New Iberia, I’ve lived here longer than anywhere else so the Teche Area has always been home. My parents and all my family were born and raised here so I spent most of my childhood making memories in and around New Iberia. My husband was also born and raised here and now, we are raising our two girls in the same area we were raised in. When I took a leap of faith and decided to open my own business, Southern Bookkeeping Services, I chose to stay close to home to minimize the commute of a working mom and, serve the community we know so well. There are so many locally owned small business owners that work so hard to keep their business afloat. My goal is to provide them with relief knowing the accounting side of their business is in good hands so they can focus on their day-to-day operations and go home to spend quality time with their families when the day is done without being buried in handling their books. Serving the community we live in allows me to witness, first-hand, the success of these businesses and build relationships with those around us.

What do you do for fun?

On top of being a wife, mom, and business owner, I am also in school full-time to complete my degree in order to sit for the CPA exam so my plate is pretty full. When I do have spare time or a break from school, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. They mean the most to me. We enjoy hosting gatherings, going out to eat, fishing, and crabbing together as a family, as well as much-needed family vacations. My girls and I love attending all of the fun, local, community events. We usually try not to miss any festival, parade, or shopping event that gives us a chance to “support local”.

What are your hobbies?

I love planning and decorating for parties and consider it a hobby because I enjoy it so much. Those who know me know how much I love going all out for my kids or anyone close to me’s birthday or event. Even though I don’t have much time for it lately, I also love arts and crafts. I own Signed with Love and have done a few of the community, pop-up shopping events selling wooden door hangers, custom signs, and other hand-made home décor.

Who are your role models?

To be honest, I don’t have a particular one. God has placed so many amazing people in my life, at different times, who have all inspired me in some way to do good and always follow my heart. I strive to be the best version of me and instill the same in my girls.

What are some of your plans or goals?

My biggest goal is to become a CPA and grow my business into a full-service CPA firm. Doing so will allow me to provide my clients with tax and auditing services on top of my current services. I graduate this coming December and will be eligible to sit for all 4 exams. THANK YOU, JESUS! After graduating from Leadership Iberia last year, I learned the importance of community involvement and volunteering. There is so much work that goes on behind the scenes of these free, family-friendly community events we all enjoy so much. I plan to become more involved in those events to keep them going and provide our youth with safe places for them to enjoy.  I am currently a Berry “Queen in waiting” and once my schedule allows, I would like to join other local organizations as well as possibly starting our own within the class of Leadership XXVI.

Is there anything else you would like to say?

I would like to thank everyone who nominated me for this honor and the Daily Iberian for providing me with a chance to let everyone know a little more about me. I look forward to growing within our community and helping more and more business owners achieve their goals.