Scholarship Spotlight: Kayla Jang

Thursday, Dec 8, 2022

Scholarship Spotlight | Kayla Jang

Kayla headshot

Kayla is finishing her fourth year of studies at UBC’s Sauder School of Business, specializing in Accounting and Real Estate. She completed two co-op work terms in accounting and is now looking to gain real estate experience for her final co-op work term.

Can you please provide a brief introduction?

I am a 4th-year accounting and real estate co-op student at UBC Sauder with the intent of pursuing the CPA designation upon graduation. I recently finished 8 months of co-op working in audit at mid-size and big 4 public accounting firms, BDO and Deloitte. Currently, I am still involved in accounting and real estate by working as a teaching assistant at UBC Sauder and as an assistant to a local realtor.

Now that I have explored accounting, I am ready to dig deeper into real estate!

Being a recipient of the CREW Vancouver and Conwest Award for Women in Real Estate has been a huge motivator and has given me unlimited support and opportunities to break into the industry. 

What are you career aspirations upon graduating from UBC?

Upon graduation, I will work towards obtaining my CPA and find opportunities to get involved in the real estate industry throughout my career.

How did you initially become involved in commercial real estate?

Through my studies in UBC’s Real Estate program.

What excites you about the industry?

Real Estate excites me because it's all around us and has a huge impact on our economy and community. Being born and raised in Vancouver, I see how tangible real estate is, how it's changed the landscape, and how it affects people's everyday lives.

There are also endless possibilities to pursue within the industry. Thus, creating a strong community to help others.

What are your plans for growing and leading the industry?

First and foremost, get more involved and connected in the industry through events and case competitions. As I grow in the industry, I hope to find areas of opportunity to give back to the community, just like CREW has.

What are your key takeaways from your experience with CREW Vancouver so far? Do you plan on joining CREW? If so, can you please share a few things you are looking to gain by being apart of this network?

CREW Vancouver is an incredibly empowering and supportive network. I plan on joining CREW and building connections within the network. I am looking forward to everything CREW has to offer, especially the mentorship program.

If you were asked to give one piece of advice to university students looking to build a successful career in commercial real estate, what would it be?

There are so many opportunities to become involved. Get out there and reach out to people! The majority of people in the real estate industry are friendly, hardworking, and willing to provide support.

Outside of school, what are your hobbies/passions and what advice do you have for maintaining a good school/life balance to be able to enjoy them?

Outside of work and school, I am passionate about volunteering and am actively involved as a leader in Scouts Canada. I have an abundance of hobbies, such as hiking, playing board games, and cooking!  

To maintain a good work/school/life balance, I recommend following your passions and taking care of yourself! There are so many opportunities to pursue in life and it can get so overwhelming what to follow that you may lose yourself in the process. To prevent that, I recommend building your priorities around your passions. Self-care is also equally as important! Take the time to take care of yourself to prevent burnout and continue to be the best you can be.