Today we’d like to introduce you to Cirila Cerilo.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My path has been a slow meandering. I started my career in banking and accounting while in college, but ended up with an economics degree. After college, I joined the Peace Corps as a Community Development volunteer in Sao Tome e Principe for two years. The Peace Corps was an excellent growth opportunity. I met a lot of wonderful people from whom I learned a lot about myself and the people and culture of Sao Tome. I worked with youth groups in my community to assist them with development projects that they wanted to take on. They came up with the ideas, together we created the project plan, and I applied for grants and managed the funds. We renovated two daycare facilities that had been in ruins, and installed new water pipes and faucet at a water station where the community could access clean water.
I returned to the U.S. to work as an economist with the Bureau of Labor Statistics and pursue an advanced degree in Environmental Science from Johns Hopkins University. When I graduated, I had a six-month old baby and decided instead to be a stay-home mom for a while. For the next 19 years, I taught a variety of classes to elementary through middle-school aged kids. I also volunteered in the community in a variety of ways, from cat care at the Frederick Animal Welfare League to organizing an annual homeschool prom, and preparing tax forms with the VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistant) Program.
In 2021, I returned to work as a bookkeeper for MAGIC, Inc. in Westminster, where I am currently the financial administrator. However, in 2023 I also started my own company providing accounting, bookkeeping and business organizational and set-up services to small to mid-sized businesses and nonprofits. I work mostly virtually and my current clients are spread through out the east coast.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest challenge I found was getting a job after being home for 19 years. I had been away too long to go back to my previous job as an economist, and having to break into a different career meant I had to start at entry level again. I am very grateful that MAGIC gave me the opportunity to work for them. They also referred me to several other local businesses, which led to the start of my own company, Magna Financial Care.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I offer bookkeeping services in a variety of custom packages, from full-service, to monthly reconciliation, to end of the year clean-up and reconciliation in preparation for tax filling. I also offer business organizational and set-up services catered to new businesses. I work with small to mid-sized businesses and nonprofits.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://magnafinancialcare.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cirila-magna-cerilo/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/magna-financial-care-frederick?osq=Magna+Financial+Care
- Other: https://www.bbb.org/us/md/frederick/profile/bookkeeping-services/magna-financial-care-llc-0011-90378269
Image Credits
Images taken in Sao Tome e Principe with Agostinho Neto’s Youth group.
