Setting students on the path to success

Opinion

This is an image of members of the UQ Young Achievers Program jumping in the Great Court at UQ's St Lucia campus. This is an image of members of the UQ Young Achievers Program jumping in the Great Court at UQ's St Lucia campus.

Members of the UQ Young Achievers Program in the Great Court.

Members of the UQ Young Achievers Program in the Great Court.

Accountant and Bachelor of Commerce alumnus Timothy Seng admits he wouldn’t be who he is today without the UQ Young Achievers Program. Seng was a member of the program’s first student cohort in 2009 and reflects on the positive impact it has had on his life and career.

An image of member of the first UQ Young Achievers Program cohort and former mentor Timothy Seng. An image of member of the first UQ Young Achievers Program cohort and former mentor Timothy Seng.

Member of the first UQ Young Achievers Program cohort and former mentor Timothy Seng. Image supplied by Timothy Seng

Member of the first UQ Young Achievers Program cohort and former mentor Timothy Seng. Image supplied by Timothy Seng

The UQ Young Achievers Program (UQYAP) is celebrating its 10th year of supporting Queensland state high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds to reach tertiary education.  

In that time, more than 900 Young Achievers have participated in the program, which broadens tertiary education aspirations and career options by actively engaging and mentoring them throughout their academic journey and beyond.

The inception of the program was made possible and continues through ongoing support from a variety of donors.

The program also has a strong focus on community mindedness, and this is a value I have taken with me as I forge a career as an accountant in my home town of Chinchilla, in Queensland’s Western Downs region.

My journey with the UQYAP began during the program’s first year in 2009, when at the Laidley State High School awards night I was awarded a scholarship to UQ. Little did I know what an amazing adventure I was in for. 

The program provides assistance to students who wouldn’t normally consider tertiary study and is designed to give prospective students an insight into life at UQ. 

My experience with the program was fantastic and is something I will never forget. 

The support I received throughout my senior years of school, both financially and through my university student mentor, was very useful. 

I was able to experience university life, and consider a future that I never thought was possible. I had never considered going to university as no one in my family had been before. Prior to UQYAP, my plan was to pursue a mechanic’s apprenticeship.

An image of high school students in a lecture theatre at UQ. An image of high school students in a lecture theatre at UQ.

High school students learn about the exciting opportunities at UQ as part of the UQ Young Achievers Program.

High school students learn about the exciting opportunities at UQ as part of the UQ Young Achievers Program.

As a participant of the program in Year 11, I was encouraged to attend the UQ Open Day to meet with my mentors and fellow Young Achievers. This was an important turning point. I attended information sessions on architecture, which I had been considering, but found it wasn’t what I imagined it to be. 

I thought about what I enjoyed and excelled at in school, which was business and accounting. Had I not attended an open day until Year 12, I wouldn’t have done the necessary senior subjects to get into my degree of choice. 

I studied a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Accounting, which has led to my career as an accountant.

When I began my studies at UQ, I applied to become a UQYAP mentor myself to give back to the program. It was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. Watching the students I mentored grow through the program and do what they truly believed in was something special. 

Being a mentor also pushed me out of my comfort zone and led me to do things I wasn’t used to doing, in particular public speaking. As a mentor, I had to step up and do presentations in front of nearly 100 people. Developing this skill was invaluable for presentations throughout my degree, and I use it almost every day in my job. 

A fellow mentor, Jessica Muller, is now my wife and we were married in April this year. She was also a member of the first UQYAP cohort.

I know the level of work that happens behind the scenes and I am proud to see how the program has evolved in its 10th year.

To learn more about the UQ Young Achievers Program, visit young-achievers.uq.edu.au/.

About the author

Timothy Seng graduated from UQ in 2014 with a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Accounting. Seng works as an accountant at EnVision Partners in the small Queensland country town of Chinchilla. He aspires to continue his development in this field and has recently taken on a manager’s role at the firm.

Tim Seng at work as accountant at EnVision Partners in Chinchilla. Image supplied by Timothy Seng

Tim Seng at work as accountant at EnVision Partners in Chinchilla. Image supplied by Timothy Seng

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