In being offered a prestigious Cooperative Scholarship, 2021 Meriden graduate Bianca Chong is already among a group of elite students in NSW. However, to be offered two Co-op Scholarships certainly puts Bianca in a class of her own.
Bianca has received two scholarship offers – from UNSW for Accounting and Business Management, and from UTS for the Bachelor of Accounting Program. She has decided to pursue the latter program at UTS because of the emphasis it places on practical experience to complement the academic theory studied at university.
Bianca was first introduced to the Co-op Program by a family friend who was in her second year of the course. She ultimately chose UTS because of the close support network offered by having only twenty-eight students in the program, something which she thinks she will definitely need in such an intensive course.
Although primarily a humanities student studying Extension English and Latin, towards the latter part of Year 12 Bianca began to consider a career in Business which would allow her to utilise both her creative and analytical mindset.
In Business Studies she found the process of analysing cases to produce recommendations very rewarding. Bianca wanted to extend this by making a significant contribution towards helping businesses improve their performance in the future.
She was drawn to accounting as a profession requiring integrity in the handling of sensitive financial data and the decisions that result from such information.
Bianca found a presentation at Meriden from two UTS Co-op Scholarship students inspiring, with the women presenting both highlighting how deep technical knowledge of accounting gives individuals highly versatile skills and an active role in decision-making in large companies.
The UTS Co-op Scholarship is partnered with sponsors including three of the ‘Big Four’ consulting firms – PwC, Ernst & Young and KPMG. The program is also supported by Macquarie Bank, Westpac, Commonwealth Bank and American Express, in addition to Foxtel, Coca-Cola and The Iconic, giving Bianca a range of employment options.
For the time being Bianca is particularly looking forward to her first six-month internship in July, for the social days, and to start joining societies and clubs!
