International students continue achieving success through MIT
While COVID-19 has restricted travel worldwide, there are still many opportunities for international learners who are currently living in New Zealand to continue their education or land great jobs.
After specialising in Accounting and Finance in MIT’s Bachelor of Applied Management, Student Council Vice-President Lovepreet Singh has secured a role as a Graduate Auditor at KPMG, one of New Zealand’s largest accounting firms.
“I can’t wait to start my career with one of the big four accounting companies,” says the 22-year-old, who is also the International Student Representative on the 2021 Student Council.
“I was in the last year of my studies and had been attending different online career events and was inspired by KPMG’s rainbow portfolio and their commitment to inclusion and diversity amongst the LGBTQ+ community,” says Lovepreet. “This is something that I’m quite passionate about, especially since becoming part of the Student Council, where I’m meeting and learning from so many different individuals at MIT.”
MIT International Market Manager Kerry Clarke believes Lovepreet is the perfect example of someone who has done very well by putting himself out there.
“Lovepreet is going to be working for one of the largest accounting firms in New Zealand. I think that is really significant because it shows it is less about where you come from and more about what you know,” says Kerry.
Growing up in the Punjab state in India, Lovepreet Singh developed a curiosity about the world from an early age. He wanted to give everything and anything a go - from journalism and acting to badminton and cricket, the only thing he says he knew for certain was that leadership was on the horizon.
“I remember being really interested in news and politics when I was 10 years old,” he says. “I did my secondary schooling in India where fields of study like business and accounting are encouraged, so that’s the pathway I ended up taking, but I honestly felt like I wanted to study everything.”
The decision to study abroad in New Zealand was easy for Lovepreet – he already had family living in Auckland and chose to study at MIT after doing his own research into our School of Business.
“I started my Bachelors degree with MIT in 2019 and it was such a great time - you could develop a connection with your lecturers and classmates as the class sizes are kept small,” he says. “You’re not just a student ID number or roll number, there’s that personal connection.”
But along with so many others, COVID-19 lockdowns began to seriously disrupt plans for international and domestic students.
“We had a few international students who were facing hardships due to the lockdown, but the MIT International department called each of the students just to see how they were doing and to see if they needed any help. It was very helpful, and they have done that for each lockdown we’ve had.”
While Lovepreet felt supported studying in New Zealand with the MIT International team and health and wellbeing resources around him, he says that it’s important to bring your passion to the table as well.
“You need to be inspired to put in the work,” he says. “There are also many organisations working to support international students to grow themselves personally and professionally. There are organisations that provide information to help you find your way and connect with others.”
Lovepreet feels a lot of his success at MIT can be put down to making connections around the school, with local businesses and the wider area. “That's one of the best things that MIT was able to provide - south Auckland is already so connected to the community, to the culture, and the manaakitanga.”
If you’d like to see where MIT can take you call 0800 62 62 52 or email enquiries@manukau.ac.nz
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