By AAT Comment Inspiring storiesAAT success stories: a fresh start in a new country10 Jul 2025 From learning to speak English, to qualifying as an accountant, Dana Henželová’s AAT journey came with many hurdles to overcome.Dana Henželová at a glance…Age: 35Years in accounting: 8Name of employer: AzetsTop tip for students: Networking and friendships with other students will keep you motivated, and distance learning can enable you to earn money while studying.In 2012, Dana Henželová MAAT came to the UK from Slovakia without knowing any English. Now AAT Level 4 qualified and studying ACCA, her journey into the world of accounting and finance began when she joined the AAT distance learning course at her local college.With the support from family and friends, plus a lot of hard work, she has now passed her first two ACCA exams. That drive and spark for accounting first started back in Slovakia when Dana created her own cleaning business.Discovering a love for numbersDana’s cleaning business was so successful that it was bought out by one of her clients, and she went to work with him in the finance department of his firm. That experience made her think about pursuing a career in accountancy.“I completed AAT Level 2 and it was very challenging for a lot of reasons. I didn’t have any office experience and English was not my native language. I self-funded AAT Level 2 in instalments and it took me three years to complete. All the time I was paying for my training by working as a cleaner.”Having a real career that she could progress in was Henželová’s main motivation, and she kept going despite a number of setbacks.“When I set off with my AAT studies I knew that in five years’ time I would be on a better salary and developing my professional skills,” she said. “I had studied economics at school and university, so I have always been interested in numbers and finance. My bookkeeping skills from running my own business were also useful.”The hardest part of her AAT journey was when she didn’t pass the exams the first time. Part of this was due to taking technical exams in English.She said: “I had worked so hard and I used to question what I did wrong. However, the experience did teach me resilience and how to handle stress. I was also really stubborn, which helped me to keep going. Once I had started AAT, I wanted to finish it and I just kept my end goal in mind.”Work experience and progressionAfter achieving AAT Level 2, Henželová was keen to get real-life experience. She found a full-time job with ProCook in Gloucester in the accounts department, where she stayed for three years and completed AAT Level 3 as an apprentice. She then moved to the audit department and completed Level 4 via Kaplan, funded by her employer.She then moved to the audit department of Azets, a specialist accounting firm, where she has progressed on to ACCA and has just successfully completed her ACCA Finance Management, Financial Reporting and Law and Performance Management exams, with the end goal of completing ACCA by the end of 2026.“In my current role I am doing a lot of field work where you visit the client,” she said. “It’s fascinating because every business has something that they do really well and something that could be improved. Many people think auditors are scary, but we are here to understand the financial side of the business, and to help improve it.”Dana persevered with her studies despite experiencing setbacks. Her resilience is a lesson for all students that you learn through failure, and sometimes it won’t always go the way you hope on your first try.Dana added: “Whether you pass or fail an exam, reward yourself. If you have worked hard and done your best then you need to celebrate that, shake off your disappointment and begin studying again.”Further readingAAT success stories: studying alongside playing professional footballAAT success stories: from student to business ownerAAT success stories: defying the odds to become a qualified accountant AAT Comment offers news and opinion on the world of business and finance from the Association of Accounting Technicians.