My Highlight at the National High School Business Conference

Hi everyone! My name is Ayaan, and I am a grade 11 student attending Garth Webb S.S. Today I had the pleasure of attending today's National High School Business Conference. Here are my thoughts on my experience and highlighting what I enjoyed today.

Firstly I want to thank @NHBC for an excellent conference that worked out very smoothly and the guest speakers/co-chairs who took their time working morning and night to plan this event.

Today was my first ever NHBC meeting which was super beneficial to me since I want to take a pathway into the business industry. I learned a lot about accounting and especially about how a CPA can make your role way better and how you can do almost anything. One position I enjoyed and has never heard of until the meeting was a Forensic Accountant. When guest speaker Mark Grenon explained what kind of cases he has been a part of and what he does, I thought of how it can be a possible pathway for my journey, knowing how interesting it really is. Moreover, we had a case study that put us into a forensic accountant's shoes and figured out which suspect(s) stole money from their company. The case made me feel a little bit pressured because of the strict time limit and how much work we needed to do. But it forced me to be quick on my feet.

Furthermore, the panelists talked to us about mental health, which was very helpful and enjoyable to listen to during the pandemic. I learned tips and tricks on how to improve my personality during school and daily life. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, as Alina told us. Within the information that we learned about mental health, I learned how the SOFT skills are very significant; three core muscles take over your mental fitness and The ten saboteurs.

Overall, The conference provided me with valuable information and excellent teamwork skills with a positive mindset that can be used in the real world. The discussions, slideshows, and two workshops were also entertaining, and I felt very honored to be a part of the event.