LEARNINGFROMBESTTHEREIS
Bond University has an innovative program that teams up high-achieving school leavers with Queensland’s captains of industry
NINE Bond University student leaders have been matched with Queensland’s captains of industry as part of a mentoring program to enhance graduate employability.
The initiative is part of the Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship, awarded annually to a handful of the country’s highest achieving school leavers.
A range of business
executives has signed on to mentor this year’s students including Westpac Institutional Bank executive director Richard Green and Bank of Queensland specialist business CEO Dr Brett Robinson.
In 2016 Mark Sowerby, Queensland chief entrepreneur and founder of Blue Sky Alternative Investments Ltd, was paired with business/law student Emma Sam.
Mr Sowerby said the most important thing the ViceChancellor’s mentor program offered students was opportunity, by bridging study with the real world and providing personal connections.
“I find if you give young people a sliver of an idea, an opportunity, the good ones tear back the curtain and just go charging through,” he said.
“Emma certainly did this by saying ‘yes’ to every single opportunity she was given.”
Ms Sam said she felt incredibly fortunate to have had Mr Sowerby as a mentor for the past year.
“Mark Sowerby is an amazing man and inspirational leader who has opened my eyes to the business world and possibilities of my future career,” Ms Sam said.
“He has taken me under his wing and in doing so, I’ve been able to experience so many unbelievable things. That includes working alongside his Blue Sky team on Madison Avenue, New York.”