My experience as a CBA for STRIVE 2020, Ontario’s largest accounting conference
Hello, UWaterloo community!
I’m Ceanna, a School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) student and I recently won the Campus Brand Ambassador (CBA) of the Year Award at STRIVE 2020, Ontario’s largest accounting conference.
A conference is only as successful as the team who plans it, and while hosting STRIVE virtually for the first time was indeed a challenging decision, it turned out to be very successful! During the summer while I was applying for the STRIVE case competition, I thought to myself, “why not take it one step further and apply for a CBA position rather than being just a delegate?” I thought it would be interesting to take on a role I had never tried in the past. After rounds of interviews with several other candidates, I was both proud and excited to be selected to represent the University of Waterloo as a CBA.
My responsibilities as a CBA involved promoting the conference with the university community and acting as a liaison between STRIVE directors and team members. I enjoyed my time in this role because it not only enhanced my leadership and communication skills but also helped me build relationships. Through this role, I had the opportunity to make new friends from nine other universities across Ontario, network with industry professionals, and take part in a wonderful accounting conference. I would rate my overall experience as a ten!
In terms of the time commitment required, we had weekly socials, meetings, and training sessions for the conference. And so, it was essential for me to plan my week well in advance to ensure I had time to attend lectures, do my self-study, and participate in extracurriculars. It was also super important to take breaks and make sure I set aside time to relax, perform my hobbies, exercise, and hang out with friends and family. The time I had for myself motivated me to work harder for STRIVE.
Working from home, I made sure I regularly communicated with the STRIVE team, the rest of the CBA team, and the SAF by sending regular emails and having online meetings to ensure proper coordination. To balance studies and manage this role, I planned my day-to-day activities and ensured I accomplished my daily tasks. I promptly helped SAF students tailor their applications and provided them with guidance by answering their queries at any time. Most importantly, I took an active part during meetings and provided ideas that helped make our virtual conference more innovative and exciting.
My persistence and strong determination to achieve my goals won me the Campus Brand Ambassador of the Year Award which is selected among CBA’s from the top nine business schools in Ontario. It was a great experience to manage this executive role as a CBA and all I can say is STRIVE was exhilarating!