Coláiste student takes first place at Chartered Accountants Boot Camp
Fermoy Transition Year student Katie Rice has been awarded first place at the Chartered Accountants Ireland Boot Camp Challenge 2024.
Katie is a student at Coláiste an Chraoibhín and entered the competition as a solo student of the accounting programme for senior cycle students. The Boot Camp challenge is a business simulation exercise and is the culmination of the Boot Camp programme, an online accounting programme for senior cycle students.
The local student said that she was ‘ so excited and ultimately surprised’ to hear that her entry was initially shortlisted, therefore making the win all the greater.
“I didn't expect it at all, so it was a great honour to win. Thank you to Chartered Accountants Ireland for providing such a fun and engaging competition. I learned so much from the experience about business which I would never have learned previously, like doing market research and assessing situations and making the correct decisions,” she said.
'EXCELLENT SUBMISSION'
According to Boot Camp creator Brian Feighan, the real learning in the challenge comes from the decision-making journey involved.
“It challenges you to research and evaluate information, to assess risks and benefits and to think critically about the evidence. You need to be creative in how you solve problems and to exercise sound judgment and commercial awareness.
“Katie produced an excellent submission in which she thoroughly researched the market, objectively assessed the evidence and demonstrated a real appreciation of the risks involved. This was a very thorough and independent piece of work,” he said.
Cork dominated the awards with second place going to a team entry from Edmund Rice College, Carrigaline.