NHBC 2021 Reflection

Hi all! My name is Sydney Lamers and I am a Grade 11 student at White Oaks Secondary School. Today, I had the pleasure of attending the National High School Business Conference. I had a fantastic time with my group members Weinna Zheng, Jessica Liu, Ryan Qin, and Belle Li. I truly enjoyed learning about CPA and the many pathways one can take. My favourite part of the conference was getting to work with my team and finding a creative solution to the case! Shoutout to Ryan’s dentist :)

A few key takeaways from my experience at NHBC 2021:

Accounting is much more than numbers: I think like most people, I had a very stereotypical view of what it means to be an accountant. Until hearing Mark Grenon speak, I have never heard of a forensic accountant! It was truly an eye opening experience to see how many jobs and industries require accountants.

Mental fitness is just as important as physical fitness: the workshop about mental fitness was an excellent learning experience for me. I learned strategies to improve my mental fitness and have a greater understanding of how our brains work in relation to stress.

University is another stepping stone to prepare you for life: hearing from the multiple panelists about their experience in university was very helpful! Learning first hand about their experiences at university and advice on how to transition from high school to postsecondary was extremely valuable. Next year I will be making decisions about where I want to study so I enjoy listening to multiple opinions and experiences about postsecondary education!

The case study: I have competed in case competitions in the past, but none quite like this one! The CPA case study was finance heavy however there were many aspects that required a human understanding rather than just a calculator. I enjoyed dissecting the case with my team members and preparing a presentation. If only we were in person!

Thank you Illuminate and CPA for a wonderful day! I am looking forward to participating in another event soon!