.png?width=800&height=450&ext=.png "Transitioning to the New CPA Professional Program: Your Questions Answered")
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Yu-Ning Huang, CPA, works at TELUS in the Corporate Real Estate, Environment and Energy division. She began her CPA journey during the pandemic and completed the organization's three-year CPA pre-approved rotational program. As a newcomer to Canada, Huang earned her CPA designation while navigating a new country, a new career and professional studies during the pandemic, demonstrating the perseverance and dedication recognized through the Exemplary New Professional Award.
In her own words, Huang reflects on her CPA journey and what receiving the Exemplary New Professional Award means to her.
When the email announcing the Exemplary New Professional Award arrived in my inbox, my first reaction was skepticism, and briefly wondered whether it was a phishing attempt. After years of cybersecurity training, that seemed like the logical conclusion.
As it turned out, the message was entirely genuine.
Without my knowledge, a group of colleagues and former managers had taken the time to nominate me for the award. While I went about my day-to-day work, they were quietly sharing generous words about my contributions and professional journey. Learning that they had advocated for me in this way was both unexpected and deeply meaningful.
My path to becoming a CPA began long before that email arrived. As a first-generation immigrant, I came to Canada without a professional network, family connections, or established support system. What I did have was a belief that the CPA designation represented something universally recognized which is dedication, discipline, and commitment. Having relocated 9,600 kilometres from home, the profession's reputation for stability and opportunity provided an important sense of security.
Like many carefully constructed plans, mine quickly met reality.
I started a new job and my first CPA modules at the same time, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The experience I had imagined included workplace events, new friendships, and study sessions gathered around a kitchen table. Instead, I found myself learning, working, and building relationships through a screen filled with pixelated squares.
Despite the challenges, meaningful connections still formed. Virtual study sessions stretched late into the evening as candidates supported one another and stayed accountable. Family and friends helped in quieter ways with encouraging messages, meals delivered to my door, timely pep talks, and occasional outings that provided a much-needed break during my Common Final Examination (CFE) preparation.
People often ask when I realized, "I can do this."
The truth is that moment never arrived when I expected it to. Before every exam and every new opportunity, I felt the same uncertainty—the feeling of stepping into the unknown. Confidence did not come first. It arrived later, after I had passed the CFE and reflected on everything that had been built through consistent effort and perseverance. Looking back, I realized that showing up day after day had carried me further than confidence ever could.
Receiving the Exemplary New Professional Award brought feelings of pride and gratitude. More than anything, it reminded me of the many people who supported my journey and the colleagues who believed in me enough to turn that support into action.
Today, after completing TELUS's three-year CPA pre-approved rotational program, I support TELUS Corporate Real Estate, Environment and Energy. Even a year and a half into the role, I remain excited by the opportunity to learn, grow, and work alongside talented colleagues in an entirely new field.
If there is one message I hope future CPA students take away from my story, it is this—the feeling of "I can do this" may not arrive on schedule. Keep going anyway. Consistency often gets you where confidence cannot.
In her own words, Huang reflects on her CPA journey and what receiving the Exemplary New Professional Award means to her.
When the email announcing the Exemplary New Professional Award arrived in my inbox, my first reaction was skepticism, and briefly wondered whether it was a phishing attempt. After years of cybersecurity training, that seemed like the logical conclusion.
As it turned out, the message was entirely genuine.
Without my knowledge, a group of colleagues and former managers had taken the time to nominate me for the award. While I went about my day-to-day work, they were quietly sharing generous words about my contributions and professional journey. Learning that they had advocated for me in this way was both unexpected and deeply meaningful.
My path to becoming a CPA began long before that email arrived. As a first-generation immigrant, I came to Canada without a professional network, family connections, or established support system. What I did have was a belief that the CPA designation represented something universally recognized which is dedication, discipline, and commitment. Having relocated 9,600 kilometres from home, the profession's reputation for stability and opportunity provided an important sense of security.
Like many carefully constructed plans, mine quickly met reality.
I started a new job and my first CPA modules at the same time, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The experience I had imagined included workplace events, new friendships, and study sessions gathered around a kitchen table. Instead, I found myself learning, working, and building relationships through a screen filled with pixelated squares.
Despite the challenges, meaningful connections still formed. Virtual study sessions stretched late into the evening as candidates supported one another and stayed accountable. Family and friends helped in quieter ways with encouraging messages, meals delivered to my door, timely pep talks, and occasional outings that provided a much-needed break during my Common Final Examination (CFE) preparation.
People often ask when I realized, "I can do this."
The truth is that moment never arrived when I expected it to. Before every exam and every new opportunity, I felt the same uncertainty—the feeling of stepping into the unknown. Confidence did not come first. It arrived later, after I had passed the CFE and reflected on everything that had been built through consistent effort and perseverance. Looking back, I realized that showing up day after day had carried me further than confidence ever could.
Receiving the Exemplary New Professional Award brought feelings of pride and gratitude. More than anything, it reminded me of the many people who supported my journey and the colleagues who believed in me enough to turn that support into action.
Today, after completing TELUS's three-year CPA pre-approved rotational program, I support TELUS Corporate Real Estate, Environment and Energy. Even a year and a half into the role, I remain excited by the opportunity to learn, grow, and work alongside talented colleagues in an entirely new field.
If there is one message I hope future CPA students take away from my story, it is this—the feeling of "I can do this" may not arrive on schedule. Keep going anyway. Consistency often gets you where confidence cannot.
