Brooke Sweeney was elated to find she had won the 2021 MoneyHub prize.
Currently in her second year of a Bachelor of Commerce, Brooke Sweeney was elated to find she had won the 2021 MoneyHub prize.
This $2000 donation helped put her “back on her feet” after having car issues, with the remainder going to her study and living costs so that she can pursue a career in accounting.
“I was awarded this prize for my community service and academic excellence in accounting based on recommendations that came from the Pro Vice-Chancellor of Commerce, Professor Robin Gauld, and in consultation with the Head of the Department of Accounting and Finance Professor Jin Zhang.”
This comes after she secured a summer internship at Deloitte after her penultimate year of study.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Deloitte and hope that it will open doors in the future,” Miss Sweeney says.
“My career aspirations lie in Forensic Accounting and so it would be ideal to get a graduate role in that field and then go on to complete my Chartered Accountant qualification.”
She had always been “drawn towards numbers at school” and so it's no surprise she continued to pursue this interest at the Otago Business School.
“I had always enjoyed accounting at high school and so I made the decision to become an accountant,” Miss Sweeney says.
“I wanted to add another element to my degree and so I ended up selecting a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Accounting and Finance.”
Miss Sweeney completed both her primary and secondary schooling in the small, North-island town of Te Aroha, which has a population of less than 4,000.
Coming from a small town inspired her to spend her final year of high school on an exchange in Argentina.
“I did this with the goal of broadening my horizons culturally and learning another language, as well as moving outside my comfort zone,” Miss Sweeney says.
She then returned to New Zealand where she would begin her commerce studies at the University of Otago.
