In summary

  • Five Swinburne students have won first place in international competitions at the 2023 Beta Alpha Psi Annual Meeting in Las Vegas

  • Four Swinburne students won first place in Deloitte’s international Best Practice competition for founding the Think Global Network

  • Another Swinburne student was a member of the winning team in Project Run With It, a competitive real-world consulting project

Five students from Swinburne’s Xi Sigma Beta Alpha Psi chapter have taken home first place in international competitions at the Beta Alpha Psi Annual Meeting in Las Vegas. Beta Alpha Psi is a prestigious international honour society for accounting, finance and information systems students and professionals. Beta Alpha Psi prepares students for their professional lives, equipping them to make significant contributions to their profession.

The theme of this year’s Annual Meeting was “Reimagining the Path Forward.” Students and industry professionals from across the globe gathered over three days to network, learn, compete, and give back.

The trip was made possible by Swinburne’s Accounting Futures Fund, which aims to inspire and invigorate a pipeline of career-ready, innovative, and entrepreneurial graduates in collaboration with business, industry, and the community. The Accounting Futures Fund supports Swinburne’s Xi Sigma chapter with a focus on creating high achieving graduates and future leaders who will take society forward with confidence, underpinned by a strong ethical and moral compass.

“As the Faculty Advisor of the Swinburne Beta Alpha Psi Chapter, I consider myself privileged to witness the profound impact the program is having on our students and their promising journeys ahead,” said Dr John Webster, Swinburne Accounting Lecturer.

“Our students have gained valuable skills, knowledge, and established connections with industry professionals and the community. But, most importantly, they have grown into confident and ethical leaders. Our recent victories at the final of the Deloitte’s Best Practices Competition and Project Run With It in Las Vegas are clear evidence that our students possess the calibre to excel on the international stage.”

Swinburne students reimagining the path forward with Think Global Network

After winning the Oceania final, the Swinburne team, Jacinta Lidonni, Jenny Rogers, Nina Andrighetto and Chi Kiet Vong were invited to travel to the United States to compete on an international scale in Deloitte’s Best Practices competition.

The team presented their Think Global Network, which assists students in securing international work and study opportunities. The program supports Beta Alpha Psi students from across the globe to create connections with one another and find new ways to collaborate. This program has influenced over 100 Beta Alpha Psi students and will continue to grow as a Swinburne University initiative.

The competition showcased the remarkable efforts of Beta Alpha Psi’s international members, and amid fierce competition, the Swinburne Team took home first place.

“As a student, this meeting was an eye-opening experience and emphasises the importance of learning beyond the classroom,” said Beta Alpha Psi President and Best Practices winner Jacinta Lidonni.

Jacinta Lidonni is studying a Bachelor of Business (Accounting)/ Bachelor of Law, Jenny Rogers is studying a Bachelor of Accounting, majoring in Accounting and Financial Planning, Nina Andrighetto is studying a Bachelor of Business and Information Technology (Professional) and Chi Kiet Vong is studying a Bachelor of Business (Professional) majoring in Business Analytics and Analysis at Swinburne University.

Swinburne student, Peter Zamora (top left), working with his international Beta Alpha Psi team mates on their winning Project Run With It presentation.

Making a difference in 48 hours

Another Swinburne Xi Sigma student, Peter Zamora, took home first place in the Project Run With It competition. Project Run With It provided participants with an incredible opportunity to engage in a real-world consulting project for not for profits in the Las Vegas area.

Students were randomly assigned teams from across the international Beta Alpha Psi chapters. Working in groups of four, they were given the equivalent of one and half working days to develop a formal presentation showcasing their solution to the business issues presented by the not for profits.

Mr Zamora’s team worked on a solution for Opportunity Village, a not for profit dedicated to helping people with disabilities find the very best version of themselves. Opportunity Village help their clients find new friends, realise future career paths, seek independence and community integration, and unleash creative passions through workforce development, community employment, day services, inclusive housing, arts and social recreation.

After a competitive, high-intensity challenge, Mr Zamora’s team was awarded first place!

Peter Zamor is studying a Bachelor of Business (Professional), majoring in Accounting and Financial Planning at Swinburne University.

International Beta Alpha Psi students packaging over 125,000 meals for the Nevada community.

125,000 meals provided to the Nevada community

Beta Alpha Psi is committed to fostering lifelong ethical, social, and public responsibilities and each meeting includes a focus on collaboration and community impact. The Annual Meeting included a KPMG community day, where students from diverse backgrounds came together to package over 125,000 meals for the Nevada community.

“This collective effort was a highlight for students and underscored the power of unity in effecting positive change,” said Beta Alpha Psi President and Best Practices winner, Jacinta Lidonni.

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