Student Testimonial: World Scholars Academy

Alastair Fischer — World Scholars Academy

Why did you choose to participate in a summer program?

After twelve months of hearing the terms ‘inflation’, ‘volatility’ and ‘federal financial assistance’ in a COVID plagued 2020, I began to take a real interest in business and economics. I was also interested in understanding where studying economics and business could take you in terms of career opportunities. I had so many unanswered questions and I thought a summer program would help me find the answers I was looking for. I wanted to explore my passion for the broad area of business with like-minded individuals and learn about the concepts and fundamentals of the subject from an expert in the field.

How did you decide which program was right for you?

By researching intensive online pre-college introductory business programs and through reading and listening to student testimonials I discovered the WSA Business Academy program. I chose to participate in this specific program because its curriculum incorporated all the core elements I wanted to learn whilst also being set in a collaborative discussion-based environment online with an excellent instructor with experience in the field.

What was a typical day in your summer program?

A typical day would begin by the group discussing the assigned material from the previous lesson with some challenging conversations and insights from our instructor, Dr Dericks. Then we would move onto learning about an assigned fundamental business concept for the day’s program. Many of these concepts, such as microeconomic price theory and game-theory were concepts that were relatively new to the whole group. Dr Dericks would present a thorough and in-depth presentation, supported by real-life business case studies and lively peer discussions to make the concept relevant and understandable. Then we were assigned take-home assignments to reinforce the key learnings from the day. I was amazed that I was able to learn countless complicated business concepts in only two weeks with the help of my instructor and peers.

What was the most memorable moment of your summer?

My most memorable moment of the program was when we learnt about competitive strategy and Porter’s Five Forces and then utilised these skills in an entrepreneurial challenge. In a Shark Tank like environment, in pairs, we created a product with a scalability and exit goal. We then presented our product to our peer group for feedback and discussion. This exercise was engaging and allowed us to be innovative and put the theory we had learnt into practice. Overall it was both a fun and rewarding experience that has cemented my desire to pursue further study and a career in business.

What advice do you have for teens looking at summer programs?

Summer programs are a great investment in your future. I would say make sure that you look at programs that specialise in areas you are genuinely curious and passionate. You should do extensive research to ensure that the program’s curriculum is the right one for you and ticks all of your boxes. Make sure that the program will teach you new skills or concepts so that you would have used the opportunity of time to have grown and developed over the holidays.