How this English teacher dared to reinvent herself & turn CA at the age of 51

• Hi, I am Uma Krishna, a Chartered Accountant from India who dared to pursue CA at age 46.
• Being a bright student, I did my graduation in Chemistry, later did my Master’s in English Language and Literature in Madurai, and eventually joined a reputed school as an English teacher.
• Even after being a teacher for more than 20 years, I was always a restless ambitious soul, who wanted to have a ‘professional career.
• Luckily, a few changes in circumstances pushed me to pursue CS at 45 and then CA at the age of 46.
• In 2019, I qualified as a Chartered Accountant at the age of 51.
• Apart from my having a CA practice of my own, I also mentor and guide other aspirants.
• Here is my story of how I dared to reinvent myself in my late forties.

From a teacher to a student

I hail from a simple middle-class family; born and brought up in the small town of Kollam, Kerala (India).

Even though I was a graduate in Chemistry and had a Master’s in English Literature, without any second thought, I joined a reputed school as a teacher of English in Madurai. (Back in 1991, women did not think twice before choosing to take up teaching as a career.)

Fast forward to 2007, a chance transfer of my husband took us to Chennai for 5 years. However, once we moved back to Madurai in 2011, I was at loggerheads as to what to do next.