VIU student wins coveted administration award

When Julia Morris started her Bachelor of Business Administration at VIU in fall 2020, she was eager to make new friends. But her classes met on Zoom, and it was hard to connect with other students. That first year, she could not have guessed that by the end of her time at VIU she would not only have a rich social life, she would also be recognized nationally for her leadership.

This year, Julia was awarded the 2024 Senior Women academic Administrators of Canada (SWAC) Award for Student Leadership. The $4,000 prize is awarded to students who demonstrate outstanding leadership at school or in the community.

“I am very honoured to have been selected as a recipient of a SWAAC award.  This means so much to me!”

Julia developed her leadership skills through her hard work in the Accounting Students’ Association (ASA). She joined the club in her first year and attended the online events. Julia was in second year when students returned to campus. She put her name forward as a junior board member and was excited to be elected.

In her third year, the senior leadership of the ASA had graduated, and the future of the club was unknown. Julia put her name forward and was elected to be ASA President. The ASA not only succeeded, it expanded and grew, thanks in part to Julia’s efforts. Many ASA events saw the best attendance in 20 years. A highlight of the year was when the ASA hosted Michael Pickup, the Auditor General of BC, for a fireside chat. The ASA has become a leader in alumni outreach and has hosted very successful career events. After being re-elected as president in fourth year, Julia became first two-year president of the ASA.

With a full understanding of what it means to feel new and uncertain, Julia made sure the ASA was also a welcoming place for new students.

“I’m super happy and proud to have had a positive impact on students through the ASA!”

The SWAC award also looks at academic performance, and Julia shone in that area as well. She made the Dean’s honour list every year at VIU, and she won CPA Education Foundation of BC Award. She was also invited to participate in the VIU Accounting Department Faculty monthly meetings as a student representative.

Julia had to miss the SWAC awards ceremony, and her VIU convocation, as she had already started her travel for the next stage in her career journey. She is now working on her Master of Professional Accounting at the Edwards School of Business at the University of Saskatchewan. She’ll study in the summer and starting in September she’ll be working for MNP, one of Canada’s top professional services firms.

Julia secured her after-graduation job in third year. She got multiple offers at that time for full-time work after graduation. She’ll tell you this is because accounting students are in high demand. But her resumé tells a different story. Julia made the effort to get involved and it paid off.

“Getting involved in clubs sounds scary initially, but it’s really good to put yourself out there. The ASA has really helped me grow as a person and step outside my comfort zone.”