Sarah Deleon
Concordia University of Edmonton
“I’m a mature student, so going back to school for me was very nerve-wracking, and there was a lot of unknown,” says Sarah Deleon. “But everything I thought it was going to be, it has turned out to be the exact opposite.”
She’s made personal relationships with her instructors, met many great fellow students in her program, and even built lifelong friendships since going back to post-secondary school in January 2019.
When she first started in the business program, Sarah was “so sure” she would leverage that degree to go into human resources. “Then I took my first couple of introductory accounting classes, and I loved it,” she says. “It was a mind-blowing experience for me because all throughout my public education, math was not my strong suit.”
In fact, Sarah even serves as her campus’s CPA Ambassador and works to inspire her classmates to learn more about the profession as well. “People think accounting is just one thing, like tax, but I wanted to help bring awareness that there are so many options,” she says. “You could have an industry in mind—like you could really like music, you could really like sports—and all those areas need CPAs!”
Who inspires Sarah?
Her two best friends. “Nothing is out of reach because she knows my capabilities better than I give myself credit for,” Sarah says of one of her friends.
What is Sarah’s advice for her fellow students?
Don’t be afraid to ask new questions, and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and network.
Q&A with Sarah Deleon
What does being named a Capitalize Campus Star mean to you?
It’s an honour to be named and to be recognized along with so many other talented and dedicated students. On a personal level, it’s very satisfying to be recognized for all the hard work and commitment I’ve put towards my education!
How do you strive to be a role model for other students on campus?
I strive to be a role model in the way I act in class. Instead of sitting in the back of class, I choose to always sit at the front and be as participative in my lectures as I can be. I try to ask as many questions as possible and form a relationship with my professors.
What piece of advice or feedback has been most meaningful or impactful for you?
When deciding to go back to school as a mature student, I was stressing about not obtaining my degree until I was 30. The best feedback I received was, “Would you rather be 30 with a degree or 30 without a degree?” It definitely changed the way I viewed attending post-secondary as a mature student.
Capitalize and CPA Alberta are proud to announce the 2022 class of Capitalize Campus Stars. The Campus Stars program recognizes amazing Alberta post-secondary students who are dreaming of one day becoming CPAs. Learn more about the entire 2022 class!