Felix Sithiphone: Finding the fun in governmental accounting and life

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Felix Sithiphone's journey to becoming an accountant led him to grow both professionally and personally.

After graduating from Western Michigan University in 2012, he accepted a position as a financial analyst with Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services. He enjoyed the work, which he describes as “cyclical, consistent and informative.” In 2016, he moved to Integrated Services of Kalamazoo, the division for mental health and substance abuse services. Soon after, Sithiphone became interested in public accounting and decided to study for the CPA exam, which he passed in 2018.  

With the CPA credential on his resume, Sithiphone decided to take a risk and moved to the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, with the goal of finding work in the federal government. He hoped to use his experience with local government, paired with his CPA, to open doors.

The risk paid off and he worked as an associate and senior associate at TFC Consulting and subcontracted to KPMG’s Department of Energy financial statement audit. During his time at TFC, he worked on several other federally funded contracts for the Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration and the Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration.

Toward the end of 2021, Sithiphone was approached with an offer to join BDO’s public sector practice and has since served as a senior consultant for the Department of Veteran Affairs and the Corporation of National Public Service (AmeriCorps-Senior Corps).

Sithiphone developed an interest in governmental accounting, due in large part to Dr. Sheldon Langsam, professor of accountancy. “They call it ‘fund accounting’ but he taught me that it can be ‘fun accounting,’” he says.

The road to success in accounting at Western taught Sithiphone about grit and having a strong work ethic. “I failed my first tax accounting exam,” he notes. “It was really demoralizing, and I put myself in a desperate situation. However, through that experience, I really learned what it took to study hard and develop character by overcoming a challenging experience. I earned an 'A' on my very next exam.”

Sithiphone notes that experience in his sophomore year was pivotal to his personal growth and kept him motivated as he worked to pass all sections of the CPA exam and today when he faces tough times, in general. One of the key takeaways he hopes today’s students have is to work hard but also to “be patient with yourself and others.”

In addition, Sithiphone recommends that current accountancy students get enough sleep, learn all they can about Microsoft Excel and invest in reliable transportation. He also encourages students to explore Kalamazoo, including his top recommendations:

• Dine at at Water Street Coffee, Bell’s Brewery, Crow’s Nest and the Kalamazoo Beer Exchange—all include a fun atmosphere and good food. In fact, the Globe Building, 211 E. Water St. in downtown Kalamazoo houses both the Beer Exchange and BDO!
• Check out Alliance AZO for martial arts study.
• Shop at Pacific Rim Foods to find the best ingredients for a homemade meal.

In addition to his professional pursuits, Sithiphone has been active in his local community throughout his career and encourages professionals and students to consider donating their time and talent to community organizations. “Volunteering is a license to be yourself,” he says. “Everything is on your own time. You can start and stop whenever you want. Any help is appreciated as long as you’re not in the way, and it’s a fun way to get to know people and learn more about yourself.”

Sithiphone has engaged in several meaningful projects as a volunteer:

• For the MLK Day of Reading, “I read books with students in Kalamazoo Public Schools, ranging from first to sixth grade and was mesmerized by the intelligence and fluency from grade to grade,” he says.
  
• At the Washington D.C. Capital Area Food Bank, he notes, “This experience combined two of my previous jobs prior to WMU graduation: merchandising at Meijer and FedEx package handling. It’s grounding to know that just 13 years ago, I was at the very beginning of my career.”
• The Montgomery County Cat Coalition “was a very fun experience and the start of finding my passion and hobby in photography. I began with a small digital camera, explored various formats (including film) and mainly took pictures of my dog,” he says. “I made a lot of mistakes, but today I am a brand ambassador for BDO and am using these creative outlets to help expand awareness of our public sector practice.”

Learn more about job opportunities within BDO’s public sector.

Find Sithiphone on LinkedIn or view his dog's photos on Instagram.

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.