Think that accountancy only involves adding up numbers? Think again. Award-winning Sauder BCom graduate Salina Dharamsi is out to prove that it can change the world.
Trying to solve some of the planet’s most complex and intractable humanitarian problems by teaching people accountancy skills isn’t as far-fetched as it might sound. Salina already has first-hand experience of how it can work.During her undergraduate degree, Salina took part in the Arc Initiative, a project that facilitates a two-way exchange of knowledge and business skills between Sauder students and communities in South Africa, Ethiopia and Colombia. She travelled to Johannesburg to take part in building programs, internships, workshops and mentoring activities for young entrepreneurs.
“As a co-op student I was able to represent both Sauder and my company (KPMG) at the same time,” says Salina. “It’s amazing to see how quickly business and accounting skills can make a tangible difference in these communities.”
“A lot of people have a very old-fashioned view of what accountants are. They think that we’re just bean-counters. But when you understand the financial implications of things you can dramatically increase the potential for positive change.”
– Sauder BCom alumna Salina Dharamsi
In tune with students
Salina now divides her time between her many charitable projects, her auditing job at KPMG in Vancouver and studying for a Masters in Professional Accounting.
Among her many accolades so far she has been a youth ambassador for World Vision Canada and a panelist and youth facilitator for two United Nations debates in New York and Geneva. She was also the sole Canadian student delegate, representing both her country and the Sauder School of Business, at the Peace Conference of Youth held in Japan in 2012.
According to Salina, Sauder was the perfect place to develop her skills and experience in both business and international development.
“The faculty are so in tune with their students and have this incredible ability to match them with amazing opportunities for personal and professional growth.” she says. “A lot of people have a very old-fashioned view of what accountants are. They think that we’re just bean-counters. But when you understand the financial implications of things you can dramatically increase the potential for positive change. For me accounting is more than just a job – these are skills that can actually transform peoples’ lives.”
Giving back
Salina’s enthusiasm for community service and international development resulted in her being awarded a BC Community Achievement Medallion and a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. And now her alma mater has got in on the act, recognizing her achievements with the UBC Future Alumnus Award.
“It’s made me see how many ways there are to stay involved with the university and give back to the community that did so much for me,” Salina says. “For the award to go to a business student is a great credit to Sauder as well. People assume that you go to business school only because you want to make money. But there are a lot of people at Sauder who really do care about finding ways to build sustainable communities around the world. It really shines a light on what our business school is all about.”
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