When Outstanding Graduate Prize winner, Rothlara Poch (known to her friends as ‘Lara’), first left her home in Cambodia to study in Australia, she was preparing for a career in STEM. She says, “I was on a pathway towards health science at a different university, but after one semester I realised it wasn’t for me.” Lara felt that business might be a better direction for her. “Mainly because I want to help my parents,” she says. “They have a business back home. They run two dental clinics. Dad’s a dentist and he looks after the medical aspect, and Mum runs the business side. But she never went to business school. I thought if I had a formal business education I could help and make things better.”
An Australian cousin also helped inspire Lara’s choice. “He’s in finance – business finance and economics. I really respect his work ethics; how he perceives things in terms of business.” Having family in Sydney influenced her decision to study in Australia. “My parents thought I’d be safe here with relatives, but Australia is still far enough away to show me the world in a different light,” she says. Family recommendations also led her to UTS. “My brother and my cousins studied there,” she says. “My brother just graduated from Bachelor of Design in Architecture. It’s very innovative, and different from a traditional university. I like the environment. I feel relaxed at UTS.”
Pathway to success at UTS
Lara enrolled in the Diploma of Business at UTS College, the pathway to UTS. She says, “The diploma really opened up my knowledge of business. In high school I didn’t take a single business class. I didn’t know what accounting was, management, any of that. It helped me gain an overview of business and I can see things more clearly now. I understand better what the business world is all about. I think if I’d tried to go straight to UTS without the College, I might have struggled.”
The supportive environment at UTS College helped set Lara up for success. “The tutors were so helpful,” she says. “They really took care of me and the rest of the students. I think that made it easy for me to transition and feel comfortable. They would explain assignments clearly and whenever I had questions, they responded really fast and tried to help any way they could.” Lara also appreciated the study skills she picked up. She says, “There was a business communication subject where you learnt how to write reports and essays and things like that. At first, I thought it was a supplementary subject, but now I’m at uni I realise you have to write a lot for assignments – lots of reports, reflections, and presentations. Those skills from UTS College have helped me in my major and everything.”
An unexpected win
On completion of her diploma, Lara gained direct entry into second year of Bachelor of Business at UTS, where she’s chosen a double major in finance and management. She also surprised herself by winning the Outstanding Graduate Prize for achieving the highest grade-point-average (GPA) in her diploma group. “I really didn’t expect that,” she says, “but I did try my best for both semesters, so I’m happy and grateful. I gave myself a pat on the back, and called my parents when I got the news.”
Lara is settling into life at UTS. “I feel a sense of independence, and I like that UTS is in the city – very accessible. And I love the buildings. My favourite place on campus is Building Two, where the library is. It has big, big windows and lots of natural light. It has a calming feeling.” She hasn’t joined any clubs or societies just yet but is considering the Café Club. “I do love coffee,” she says with a smile. “It really helps in the morning.”
Find out more about the Diploma of Business>