1. Where did you go to college?
I majored in sociology at Seoul National University in Seoul, South Korea. Accounting is actually my third career! I began in journalism in South Korea, then earned a PhD in sociology at Purdue University in Indiana before finding my way to an accounting office in northeast Columbia, SC. I took online accounting courses, passed the CPA exam, enrolled in the MACC program at USC, and joined Scott and Company upon graduation.
2. What year did you join Scott and Company?
December 2023.
3. Why did you choose Scott and Company?
I joined Scott and Company because I believed it would be the right environment to develop my skills and deepen my knowledge — and it didn't hurt that it's close to home! (I had also been offered a position in Atlanta.)
4. Tell us about your background and current role.
Before joining Scott and Company, I worked as a staff accountant in a small local firm, where I gained broad experience serving small businesses — tax services, bookkeeping, sales tax returns, payroll, regulatory compliance, PPP loan applications, and even specialty licensing for businesses like liquor stores and seafood markets. Here at Scott and Company, I'm happy to focus specifically on tax services and continue deepening my expertise in taxation.
5. What do you enjoy most about living in Columbia, SC?
Riverbanks Zoo, the Canal Trail, and Lake Murray — there's always something to enjoy.
6. Where is your favorite place to go and why?
My study room at home. Freedom!
7. What book or movie do you recommend to others and why?
I have a few favorites I'd suggest, so take your pick! For movies: Fiddler on the Roof (the best musical I've ever heard), The Bridge on the River Kwai (remarkably realistic), or the original The Magnificent Seven (far superior to the remake). For books: The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough is the best historical novel I've read; Guns, Germs, and Steelis fascinating — though I'll admit I never finished the last third, so if you do, please tell me how it ends! And The Great Tax Wars: Lincoln to Wilson is a compelling account of how the U.S. income tax came to be over the course of half a century.
8. If you could go back in time, who would you invite to dinner?
My grandmother, who passed away several years before her great-granddaughter was born.
9. If you had unlimited resources, where would you vacation?
South Korea — to spend as much time as possible with my parents.
10. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
Time Rewind. No one but me would notice — and I'd avoid the risk of being hauled off to a secret lab for scientific experiments if I had something more conspicuous, like teleportation.
11. What interesting fact would you like readers to know about you?
I can move my ears without touching them.
12. If there is a special photo you would like to share, please provide a copy with a brief explanation.
My most recent masterpiece.