CPA of Ohio: Stephanie Bowers

What do you like to do outside of school?  

I have always been very family oriented. Since I live roughly two hours away from my family, I try to go home on the weekends when I am not bombarded with coursework. When home, I spend the majority of my time with my family and close friends. I also enjoy reading, even though I do not do it as much as I would like with college. Recently, I have enjoyed self-development books the most, especially those that are Christian based, as I believe those will help me become the best version of myself. I also have a huge passion for traveling, and it seems I am always planning my next trip. I have a goal to go to all 50 states in my lifetime, and as of now, I believe I have been to 22. I plan to cross six more states off of my list, including Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin, this summer. 

Who is someone who inspires you?  

My great aunt, Geraldine “Geri,” has been such an inspiration throughout my life. I started spending more time with her and my great-uncle when I was 12 years old. My parents and I would go to their house often to eat dinner, play cards, and just spend time with them. A big reason my Aunt Geri has been so influential to me is because she helped me step out of my shell. I was super shy as a little girl, and she knew it. As I started to spend more time with her, she would always ask me a billion questions. While I was scared at first, I quickly realized she was the nicest person around and became much closer to her. I credit her for teaching me how to talk to more people than I ever would have before. To this day, I visit them as much as I can and enjoy my talks with Aunt Geri the most. She always seems to have the best advice and, at the very least, a listening ear. I would say she has been my biggest inspiration simply because she is such a hardworking and precious individual. She goes on a three-mile walk every morning and prioritizes her family above all else. For these reasons and so many others, my Aunt Geri is someone I will always look up to and aspire to be like.