Stella Sanchez, CPA

Like other Dark Horse CPAs, Stella started her career at a Big 4 accounting firm. However, that she’d find herself a Dark Horse CPA may not have been as predictable. Stella was born and raised in Seoul, Korea. As she was just about to complete a degree in political science (literally in her final semester) at Sookmyung Women’s University, she made a bold move by dropping out and transferring to Angelo State University to become an exchange student. To further expand her horizons, she opted for this small college in a small town because it was so different from the big city and college she had left. In the U.S. of A, she discovered two things that she now loves, her husband and accounting. While the former might have been expected, the latter… maybe not as much.

After a tour of the Big 4 and Fortune 500, she realized she wanted to start her own practice, focusing on small businesses instead of the large ones she worked for until that point. Some might point out that these moves from big to small have been a theme for Stella. Dark Horse CPAs, oddly enough, has that exact focus and the tools she needed to start her own practice. Seizing the opportunity, she left corporate America behind to become a Dark Horse.

When not balancing the books or crafting strategic tax plans, Stella can be found outside hiking, camping, kayaking, etc. In fact, you might spot her at a national park, as she has it on her bucket list to go to all national parks in the U.S. Or, she might be taking her Great Pyrenees/German Shepard named Cooper for a walk around the block. By night, you might spot her at the hippest of restaurants, indulging her foodie proclivities.