Associate Alicia Eastvold cultivated her accounting career in a multitude of interesting ways and places.

“I like to go back to my days working in my dad’s machine shop when I was a kid. He would pay me to put things in the machine and I’d get paid by the part. So, I was always really excited about trying to do things as efficiently as possible and somehow that probably translated to the way I did accounting work,” she recalled.

However, this childhood interest didn’t immediately direct Alicia toward the profession.

First, she was a musician, which segued into a position teaching music. Eventually, she worked her way up to the administrative level. It was here that she gained her first real exposure to the inner workings of accounting, and how it correlated to that initial excitement for efficiency.

“I kept being drawn to trying to find the threads and the data that was going to help us serve our students better. So, I started doing a lot of data analytics and that just helped us to find and bring people out of the system of education and be able to help them more. But that quickly turned into a real interest in accounting,” she said.

As the assistant to the school’s CFO and Controller, she honed her accounting interest into a well-rounded skill set over several years. But in 2019, an opportunity arose that wrapped everything she loved most—education, serving others, and accounting—into a once-in-a-lifetime experience across the world.

So, she followed her heart and made the move to Kenya.

In Kenya, Alicia and her husband facilitated a gap year program for students from more rural areas of the country. Alicia taught classes on life skills and career planning. She also helped manage the finances for the program.

The pandemic brought Alicia and her family back to the United States, but Alicia wasn’t ready to let go of the idea that she could have her all—a role that combined her passion for service with her unique professional expertise. So, she sat for her CPA exams, got her MBA, and readied herself for what she knew was the perfect next step: nonprofit accounting.

On how she learned about Your Part-Time Controller, LLC, Alicia stated, “I knew I wanted to do consulting work and I wanted to do it at a controller level. I also wanted to work specifically with nonprofits. As I was beginning my job application process, I was driving down the road and an NPR ad came on about Your Part-Time Controller. When I got home, I ran through the door and told my husband that this company is doing exactly what I want to do,”

Upon further research, Alicia recognized an overarching sense of authenticity among YPTC’s staff testimonials. Additional plus signs were YPTC’s emphases on balance, learning, and flexibility—all of which were vital to her as she re-entered the workforce.

After connecting with YPTC Sales Manager Ken Modica and hearing his firsthand perspective, she was more than convinced to apply. Alicia officially started as an Associate in the summer of 2021.

Since then, Alicia’s position has evolved to encompass the full breadth of her abilities. Now, Alicia splits her time between clients in YPTC’s Remote Services sector and the company’s Data Visualization Group (DVG).

“I’ve been able to bring a lot of that strategy of the education side to DVG because so much of what we’re doing is trying to help staff know how to use new technology and tools,” Alicia said of her work with the DVG team.

And by proxy, YPTC gave Alicia a chance to revisit one of the most rewarding times of her life.

“I had known about this organization SHOFCO because I was teaching students from a lot of the same neighborhoods that SHOFCO serves, so I had been following this nonprofit for years.

Then, SHOFCO came up on the screen during this past year’s Annual Awards ceremony. It turned out that one of my colleagues was working with them, and I had helped her on some financial reports. I couldn’t believe that, without knowing it, I got to be a part of this organization that I loved,” Alicia explained.

Following the ceremony, Alicia and her family returned to Kenya. While there, she made it a point to visit SHOFCO and see the impact that they were making in their community.

For Alicia, a future at YPTC shines brightly because of a supportive culture and the vastness of its available opportunities to develop and explore.

When asked about why she sees a future at YPTC, Alicia remarked, “This is somewhere that is constantly looking ahead and thinking about ways to keep its staff thriving and growing. And when we learn something, we share it. That’s just the kind of place that YPTC is. And ultimately, I think that serves me—and a lot of people—really well.”

Your Part-Time Controller, LLC is currently hiring nationwide. If you are an accounting professional looking to use your skills for good, contact us today or apply now.  We can’t wait to meet you!