When Warrnambool's Helena Fu was handed her chartered accountants certificate this week it brought to an end almost a decade of tertiary study she had first started when she was just 16.
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Ms Fu was one of four McLaren Hunt employees to achieve the prestigious title.
Having four employees names chartered accountants at the same time was such a rare feat that representatives of the membership body, Chartered Accountants, travelled to Warrnambool for the ceremony on Monday, April 8, 2024.
Ms Fu got her first bachelor degree in China. "I came to the uni when I was 16 years old. I was pretty young. I jumped a couple of years in high school," she said.
That made her the youngest person at the university she attended in what turned out to be Warrnambool's sister city - Changchun City.
It was there that she first met a delegation of representatives from Warrnambool City Council, Deakin University and community organisations.
She was offered a Dean's full scholarship to come and study in Warrnambool where she completed her second degree.
"I ranked first in the Changchun campus for mathematics which is one of the reasons why I got the full scholarship at Deakin," she said.
For her first university degree, she had also been awarded a national scholarship - the highest level awarded in China.
Ms Fu arrived in Australia on January 1, 2018 to study at the university campus in Warrnambool - a city which has now become her home.
She said she "got the best job" more than three years ago working with McLaren Hunt doing audits around country Victoria.
Ms Fu, along with three colleagues, have spent the past few years getting extra qualifications to become chartered accountants.
And after "many years", Ms Fu said she had finally finished studying.
McLaren Hunt partner Chris Kol said 150 to 200 hours went into each of the nine units they had to complete to become chartered accountants.
"It's a lot of time," he said.
For mum of two Simone Blain it meant juggling work, study and family time.
Mrs Blain said she didn't start her four-year accountancy degree at uni until she was 31.
And now, after years of extra study, she is also a chartered accountant.
Mrs Blain said she had missed a lot of sporting activities and after school activities, knowing she had to get the study done. "But the kids have been fantastic and helped all the way. They'd get me little snacks," she said.
Mr Kol said over the past decade there had been a growing shortage of accountants with the number of students choosing to study it at VCE level dropping.
Chartered Accountants Victoria and Tasmania regional manager Anthony Takyi said there was a big demand for accountants. "Accountants are like GPs. Everyone needs them," he said.
"As a profession we definitely have been suffering from a dwindling pipeline of individuals wanting to come into the profession."
Mr Takyi said becoming a chartered accountant took an additional three years of work and study after finishing a degree.
"It brings with it a level of prestige," he said.
"It's extremely rare to have four from one organisation at one time."
Katrina Lovell
Katrina Lovell is a senior journalist at The Standard who covers council news and human interest stories.
Katrina Lovell is a senior journalist at The Standard who covers council news and human interest stories.
