BDO Boost

BDO Auckland is passionate about empowering their employees to “be their best”, regardless of their career stage, and wanted to spotlight some of the many ways the Business School’s students strive to be their best, both personally and professionally. “Here at BDO we place a huge focus on our intern and graduate experience and are always looking to create an environment where we can all be our best,” explains Dylan Brockett, BDO’s Talent Acquisition Advisor. “This sounds simple; however, we know that this can mean something different for everyone – hence why the BDO Boost came to life.”

To be considered for the grant, students were required to briefly detail what “being their best” meant to them. The judging panel of senior business leaders was “blown away” by the quantity and quality of the responses, enthuses Dylan. “We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who did take the time, amongst all the other things going on in their lives right now, whether it be study, work, exams, job applications – it can all be very stressful.” It made for quite a difficult and lengthy judging process, he notes.

The four award winners – Christabelle Watson, Max Chee, Marni Brewis and Alexis Kopke – embodied the three key factors the panel was looking for: specifics – for example daily routines, mindsets, clubs or pursuits; variety – being your best in all facets of life; and resilience – an appreciation that life can be hard and stressful, but having the determination to keep pushing forward.

Christabelle Watson

For BCom student Christabelle Watson, being her best “is not about winning against other people but about improving myself, finding my happiness, and setting up healthy habits for a better lifestyle.” Teamwork, fitness and maintaining strong connections with other positive-minded people are vital for Christabelle, who works part-time for Auckland Council as a lifeguard and swim instructor at the local pool, as well as participating in weekly community fun runs. “In order to be my best, I have introduced discipline and consistency into my daily life, which sets me up with healthy habits that add value to my life now and in the future,” she says. “Every day I visualise myself as the best version of me and show up as her.”

Max Chee

Max Chee is studying for a BCom/BSc, majoring in Finance and Computer Science. He believes that being your best is about “a relentless pursuit of fulfilment and success – embracing challenges, seizing opportunities and striving to make a positive impact on the world around you.” For Max, being his best professionally entails “immersing myself in dynamic environments” – which has included a tenure in the Singapore Police Force’s Special Operations Command. On a personal level, he’s dedicated to continual self-improvement and leadership development and likes to foster teamwork, discipline and effective communication – skills he draws on as he juggles the competing demands of three jobs alongside his studies.

Marni Brewis

The most important aspect of “being your best” for BCom student Marni Brewis is “maintaining a strong sense of integrity, ethical conduct and accountability in all aspects of my academic and professional endeavours.” She’s a keen networker and an active member of the Business School’s Women in Business programme. A firm believer in continuous learning, she’s teaching herself Mandarin and learning Python Developer 3 online. In what’s left of her spare time she cooks dinners at the Ronald McDonald House for families with children staying at Starship Children’s Hospital, an experience she describes as “a grounding reminder to appreciate life’s blessings, emphasizing the importance of supporting others and that individually you can make a huge difference.”

Alexis Kopke

BCom student Alexis Kopke uses the metaphor of “pushing yourself to finish a race” to explain what “being your best” means to her: the satisfaction of crossing the line outweighs any temporary physical discomfort. Living some distance away from the University and her part-time job, her days are long and the temptation to take the easier option is ever present – but she remains determined to “push through” to attend lectures and complete her shifts. “I know in the long run the success I will achieve from doing these things will triumph over how tired I am every day,” she says. This determination has seen her progress from retail assistant to operations specialist within only a few months at her workplace, Mecca.

Awarded at BDO Auckland’s firm update on 12 June, the Boost initiative has proved a huge success. “This was designed to help bring ideas and information together – to hear about the challenges and triumphs and to support in a way that is meaningful,” explains Dylan. The team at BDO Auckland is delighted that they have been able to highlight, celebrate and support the many inspiring ways that Business School students strive to do – and be – their best.