Hi, my name is Samuel Cher. I completed my Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Accounting and Finance last year, and am currently pursuing an Honours degree in Finance at The University of Western Australia Business School.
I first arrived in Perth as an international student from Singapore back in 2013 after serving two years of National Service in the Singapore Armed Forces. I was alone in Perth and had no friends or family here, but that has changed since my first day at the University of Western Australia (UWA). UWA is a vibrant campus with a plethora of student support services, engaging events and a dynamic student population which means that there is always something fun and new to do every day. After two years in the army, I was clueless and overwhelmed by the large number of career paths I could choose from as a Business student. Fortunately, there are many student clubs at the Business School such as Bloom, Consulting Society, ECOMS and FAWA that run a series of informational events throughout the year to help guide and introduce students to the professional working world.
In 2014, due to my passion for investing and trading in the financial markets, I founded a brand new professional student club at the Business School – The UWA Student Managed Investment Fund (www.uwasmif.com), and the club has grown from strength to strength. In 2014, we clinched the Best New Club award, and in 2015, we received a A$20,000 investment from a local private equity firm – Viburnum Funds to start up Australia’s first ever live Student Managed Investment Fund. We have also secured sponsorship agreements with several global Investment Banks, Private Equity firms and Stockbroking firms. These could not have been made possible without the incredible support and advice from the Dean of the Business School, Professor Phillip Dolan, the academic staff as well as the admin staff. I am extremely delighted that I am able to contribute in such a way to enhance the Business School experience for other students.
There are times when as an international student, I start to feel home-sick and no amount of skyping with family and friends who are back in Singapore can help. This year was a significant year for my home country, Singapore, as we celebrated our 50th year of independence (dubbed SG50) but I was unable to be in Singapore to celebrate National Day. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that the Business School was going to host SG50 celebrations for the large population of Singaporean students who study at UWA. There was a live stream of the National Day parade, some local delicacies from home and a vibrant atmosphere which made it feel like home. I am very appreciative of the effort and initiative taken by the Business School staff, who have gone the extra mile to make the event a huge success.
Next year, as I start work as an Investment Banking Analyst at UBS in Singapore, it is without a doubt that I will miss Perth, UWA and the Business School, along with all the friendships that I have forged over the past three years. It has truly been a memorable experience and I definitely recommend any prospective students to consider UWA as your university.
Originally published in the UWABS Blog;
https://blog.biz.uwa.edu.au/how-the-uwa-business-school-changed-my-life/