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Athena Stirbis on Building a Fulfilling Career in Tax | Foster MS in Taxation Alum Spotlight
UW Foster Master of Science in Taxation program prepared alum Athena Stirbis for a rewarding career at PwC
Athena Stirbis, a Foster Master of Science in Taxation alum, works in State and Local Tax at PwC in Seattle.
Written by: Suzanne Lee, contributing writer, Foster School of Business
The world of tax has a bit of a reputation. Most people only think about it once a year (usually with some stress involved). But behind all the forms and deductions is a surprisingly dynamic profession, full of rewarding and diverse career paths.
At the University of Washington Foster School of Business, graduates of the Master of Science in Taxation (MSTax) are proving just that. They’re stepping into meaningful, fulfilling roles that offer growth, variety, and opportunity.
One such alum is Athena Stirbis (MSTax 2022), a State and Local Tax Associate at PwC in Seattle. We caught up with Athena to hear how the Master of Science in Taxation program shaped her career, what life in the tax industry is really like, and why she thinks tax careers deserve a second look (turns out, it’s not just a once-a-year kind of thing).
In this Q&A, Athena explains how a strong educational foundation paired with genuine curiosity is the secret recipe for a purposeful career.
As someone who completed their undergraduate degree at Foster, how did your experience with the Foster community influence your decision to apply for the graduate program?
Athena Stirbis: I attended Foster from 2019 to 2022 and obtained my undergraduate degree with a concentration in accounting, after being a Running Start student and transferring from a community college. Most of my undergraduate experience was remote due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even through remote classes, I felt like the curricula in the accounting department were the most rigorous and made me feel like I was “getting my money’s worth” from my education.
Eventually, I took Intro to Tax Accounting with Crystal Finkelstein. My experience in her class led me to change my full-time offer at PwC from audit to tax; the mentorship and instruction Crystal provided were transformative in my life. When I heard she was also the director of the MSTax program, I decided I wanted to pursue it, even though I had enough credits to be CPA-eligible without it.
What appealed to you about the Master of Science in Taxation compared to entering the workforce directly or pursuing another advanced degree?
Athena Stirbis: Unfortunately, the pacing of recruiting in the accounting industry does not line up with when students take advanced accounting classes. In my case, I was asked “audit or tax” and required to select one of these disciplines for an internship years before I took an audit or tax class! By the time I was slated to graduate, I had only taken two tax classes. While recruiting with PwC made me feel comfortable that I would learn most of what I needed to know on the job, I felt remiss to begin a career in tax with such limited tax knowledge.
The MSTax program gave me experience in various tax disciplines that I still draw on three years into my career. This is why I selected State and Local Tax as my focus area at PwC. At Foster, an entire class was devoted to this topic, allowing me to discover my interest. Without a specialized tax program, I would have been shooting in the dark, randomly selecting a focus area at PwC with no clue what interests me.
What do you love about your work in tax?
Athena Stirbis: First, flexibility. It is a misconception that every tax discipline has a busy season with long hours. While that is certainly the case for some, I was not particularly interested in tax compliance, so most of my projects are on the consulting side. I work consistent hours throughout the year. Additionally, my team is very flexible with the hours we work. Most of the team is moms with families—one team member doesn’t work Fridays, another doesn’t start until 11 a.m.
Second, variety. Coming out of the MSTax, I was warned not to be pigeonholed into a niche too early in my career. I took this to heart and tried to get as much exposure as possible to different compliance and consulting projects, as well as practice on the Oregon and Washington subject matter expert teams, which gave me exposure to unique areas of tax.
Third, opportunity. Tax is a more specialized and technical area of accounting, which often leads to more job opportunities and higher pay. I find that there are more open job postings for tax-related positions than audit and assurance-related positions due to the high demand for professionals with that specialized knowledge.
Who do you think would thrive in tax?
Athena Stirbis: When entering accounting, you may hear the phrase “detail-oriented” a lot. I found this frustrating because I am not always a detail-oriented person. I am pleased to share that it is not a deal breaker in tax if you are not “detail-oriented”!
In my opinion, being curious and self-directed are far more important. When I review a client’s workpaper, I look for things that stand out as odd or inconsistent. If you always asked “why?” in math class, you will thrive in tax.
In tax, our most successful associates are self-directed and take initiative based on business patterns. I love autonomy and taking ownership over projects, which is desirable in tax. If you are the kind of person who sets up a group chat for the group project and creates the workbook for everyone to collaborate on, that type of initiative will make you very successful in tax.
What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?
Athena Stirbis: Hard work doesn’t get recognized. Visible work gets recognized.
Athena’s story shows how the right foundation can turn tax into a rewarding career. Foster’s Master of Science in Taxation program prepares future leaders, and more graduates are discovering that a fulfilling career in tax is closer than they ever imagined.
Learn more about the Master of Science in Taxation program here.
This Q&A series features graduates of the University of Washington Foster School of Business Master of Science in Taxation program who thrive in tax careers, with strong ROI, genuine job satisfaction, and long-term growth.
