Year 13 students, Matthew Jayasuria and Fergus Burke have been accepted into the Price Waterhouse Cooper (PwC) Scholarship programme, beating 300 applicants for the coveted placings.
PwC, one of New Zealand’s leading business advisers, created the scholarship in order to give aspiring young businesspeople a hands-on experience in the assurance, deals, consulting, tax (both corporate/private business) and legal facets of the industry.
In addition to a $7,000 contribution towards university fees, the scholarship provides the boys with an experienced mentor throughout their studies, access to a range of business networks and events, and a paid internship during the last year of their degree.
Matthew – who will study a Bachelor of Commerce next year with hopes of becoming a chartered accountant – says he is “stoked” with the opportunity. “I was jumping up and down while talking to the partner on the phone who delivered the good news.”
St Paul’s careers advisor, Paul Wilson, recommended the pair for the scholarship, provided them with a testimonial and prepared them for interviews.
This most recent achievement comes just weeks after Matthew secured a scholarship with PwC competitor, KPMG.
Matthew believes the opportunities and support offered to him at St Paul’s was “crucial” in ensuring that his applications “stood out from among the rest”.
Photo caption: Matthew Jayasuria (left) and Fergus Burke (right).
