Jessica Groos, a Senior Staff Accountant for Optima Office, was born in San Diego and grew up in East County. She briefly studied in Sacramento before obtaining an Associate Degree in Forensic Science at Grossmont College. 

Jessica’s professional interests began while working as a small animal specialist at Petco after graduating high school. This position paved the way for her lengthy journey in the biotechnology community. She cared for lab mice on beautiful campuses like the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. After becoming a mother, however, Jessica decided to pursue a different career—so she juggled raising her toddler with attending Kaplan University online to obtain her Bachelor of Science, Forensic Accounting degree. She then entered the accounting world, and loves using her degree while obtaining invaluable experience. There is, she says, “an ongoing balance between consistency and variety.”

In her free time, Jessica loves hiking, photography, and playing soccer with her daughter. Her Sundays are typically spent playing softball, and she is known to dabble in true crime podcasts. Jessica’s family is her biggest support system. She describes her daughter as her “opposite, replica, and inspiration somehow all at once,” and her spouse as her “stability, strength, and best friend.” The trio enjoys camping and family vacations, but Jessica says her favorite days are spent just enjoying one another’s company. 

Jessica tries to live by the words of Maya Angelou: “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.” She embraces the idea of recognizing challenges without dwelling on them, while simultaneously learning and aiming to do better. She feels most accomplished on days when she has been a positive role model for her daughter, whom she encourages to strive for quality over quantity. Goal-wise, Jessica expresses a desire to own a castle. Secretly though, she says she’ll settle for a house with a turret.