EIT Bachelor of Accounting student Cory Newman (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki) says being awarded two scholarships in his final year of study is “completely life-changing” and will allow him to graduate without any debt.
The 21-year-old, who is studying at EIT’s Tairāwhiti Campus, was awarded the Suzanne Spencer Memorial Scholarship by Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) worth $6000 for Māori ākonga.
He has also received $3000 from the Gisborne Region Financial Assistance Fund.
“This scholarship is completely life changing as it will allow me to graduate without any student debt at all. This, in turn will potentially open many doors and pathways to further postgraduate study and professional development in my chosen specialty in the tax accounting and accounting legal field.”
Cory, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, says he is proud to have been awarded the scholarships.
“It does give me confidence because people are willing to back me and stake quite significant amounts of money on me doing well.”
It is not the first award Cory has received, having previously been awarded a Year 13 scholarship by EIT in 2022.
“I’ve effectively come out of the degree with zero debt because I had the government fees-free for my first year as well as the Year 13 scholarship, the BDO business studies scholarship and now the CA ANZ and Gisborne Region Financial Assistance Fund scholarships.
“But it’s not just the money, the other benefit of these scholarships is that they have allowed me to meet some cool people and start networking which is awesome. I’d highly encourage people to apply so that they can do that and begin building their careers as accountants in a manner that will be really strong and will set them up really well going forward.”
Cory says his time at EIT has been very positive, made even better by supportive and encouraging lecturers.
“I would recommend EIT because the class sizes are nice. I see my lecturers every day and if I have any issues they’ll give me and my classmates that extra support. It’s generally a really supportive vibe and I like it.”
While he enjoyed business studies and accounting at high school, Cory says his passion for tax only developed at EIT with the help of lecturer Mark Scott.
“He is super passionate about tax and that passion was contagious. He gave me the tax bug, shall I say, and I’ve been into it ever since. It’s something I’d love to learn more about and actually do in a working environment.”
Joanna Frain, Programme Leader in EIT’s School of Business says: “The Year 13 Scholarship, along with the other awards he has received have enabled Cory to make his study at EIT his number one priority.”
“This financial support, along with Cory’s motivation and infectious enthusiasm have been fundamental in his academic success. We are all so proud of Cory’s achievements and look forward to being part of his journey as he progresses towards his goal of becoming a Chartered Accountant.”