Paying it forward
Katie Lin was the first in her family to study at university and now, having achieved a career dream, she’s paying it forward to other regional students.
Katie grew up in Leeton and completed her Bachelor of Business (Accounting/Law) at Charles Sturt in Wagga Wagga in 1997. Katie landed a graduate position at a chartered accounting firm in Sydney, and as a result of hard work and commitment, realised her career dream when she was invited to become a Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers (Pwc).
“When I first joined PwC, I knew straight away I wanted to work towards becoming a Partner. To be invited to become a Partner in Australia’s leading global accounting firm was a privilege.”
“We were driving out of Leeton in early 2018 and the impact of the drought on the landscape and the community was difficult to see and it made us consider what we could do to change people’s lives. Both of us have benefitted through tertiary education and the idea evolved from there.”
The Katie Burns Alumni Assistance Scholarship provides $5,000 to an undergraduate or postgraduate student in the School of Accounting and Finance.
“I was so proud to select the recipients and to know that I have contributed to their start in life. Education is an important part of creating a more productive and smarter nation. I really want to inspire others of our generation to start something similar, to pay forward the good fortune we have had in our careers.”
Alumni of Charles Sturt University, like Katie, play a big role in promoting, supporting and giving back to the regions, communities and students of their alma mater.
The Alumnigive program makes it easy for Alumni to support students and the University in a way that suits their time, budget and capacity. This can include putting your hand up to speak at graduation, be part of student mentoring, sharing your story to inspire others, or deciding to give back through the creation of a scholarship.