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It's not a secret that the quadratic formula is not very useful in our daily lives. While High School teaches students important information, I often think about this meme when thinking about what we learn:
However, many high school students, like yourselves, want to learn material that will actually benefit them in all areas of their lives. The CPA Ontario's High School Ambassador Program (HAP) will introduce you to just that!
Hey guys, my name is Vithiah Vijayakumar. I'm a Grade 11 student at Sir Wilfred Laurier Collegiate Institute and an Apprentice here at Illuminate Universe. Through the High School Ambassador Program, I gained meaningful insight into myself, business, and leadership, and I wanted to share this insight with all of you using this blog post. Maybe the program will be perfect for you as well!
First off, you may be asking what is HAP?
HAP is a volunteer leadership program offered by CPA Ontario. The FREE program provides high school students like yourselves with a toolkit of skills and knowledge that are in need by top organizations across every sector. When you become a member of HAP, you get open access to valuable career development resources and the ability to showcase YOUR talent while winning cash prizes. Below are some of the exclusive contests, conferences and resources I have access to as a High School Ambassador.
The High School Hub:
The CPA Ontario High School Hub is a complete career-development resource so your journey to a successful carrier is not limited to your classroom achievement. Members can access useful information like latest articles and upcoming events/conferences.
The Write to Ignite Contest:
Write to Ignite is an annual essay contest that provides members with a chance to win the top prize of $500 plus $100 for their high school business department. Competitors need to create opinion essays (supported by research and references) that adhere to the theme of the year.
The CPA Showcase:
The Showcase is a semi-annual video competition that provides members with a chance to win the top prize of $750, plus $250 for their high school business department. Competitors need to create an original, creative, and entertaining video that adheres to the theme of the year.
Why would you want to become a CPA?
CPAs are Chartered Professional Accounts and work in all industries. They have such valuable and malleable skill sets that they can work in every country even if they don't speak the language: a major plus if you like to travel! They use their skills to make informed insightful decisions for the good of both business and society.
Don't want to become a CPA... that's completely fine as well. CPA Ontario and the program are all about learning YOUR path and choosing a career that YOU love.
Regardless of your career path, this program will definitely give you a competitive edge with all the benefits it offers!
I gained many benefits from this program, like being able to build my resume and create connections with CPAs (Chartered Professional Accountants) - great advantages in my future business endeavors. I was also able to develop public speaking, communication, and leadership skills through my participation in the program.
All in all, I found HAP as an amazing starting point for my career development as a high school student. I was able to build my resume, attend exclusive contests and conferences, create connections with CPAs, earn volunteer hours, and developed many life skills.
In summary, the benefits of the program includes being able to:
Build your resume
Attend exclusive contests and conferences
Create connections with CPAs (Chartered Professional Accountants)
Earn volunteer hours for your High School Degree
Develop public speaking, communication, and leadership skills
If YOU also want to explore the benefits and resources available to ambassadors, then what are you waiting for? Visit High School Ambassador Program | CPA Ontario to register and learn more about the program.
Thank you for reading, have a nice day!