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INUVIK
On Dec. 2, Alison Lennie of Inuvik received news that seven years of schooling and over 4,000 hours of articling had paid off.

Alison Lennie, centre in striped shirt, is well on her way to becoming the second Inuvialuit chartered accountant. She's completed seven years of education and countless hours articling with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Edmonton. - photo courtesy of Images of Distinction Photography

She had passed the uniform evaluation, or UFE: a three-day exam required to become a chartered accountant. The exam challenges accountant-hopefuls to prove their competency in a variety of accounting areas.

Lennie passed on her first attempt, and before she had gained all the hours to achieve the chartered accountant status.

"It's kind of unreal, I guess. It's really good and I'm relieved. I'm so happy to only do it once," Lennie said. "The exam is so long and you have to study for the exam and I would rather work."

Passing the test on the first try is a fairly impressive accomplishment considering the pass/fail rate, said Rick Barnay, a chartered accountant with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Edmonton, where Lennie works. The firm had a huge celebration on Dec. 2 when the results from the exam were announced.

"The exam has a pass rate of 60 per cent; which means 40 per cent fail, who probably have a wealth of education behind them," Barnay said. "All the successful people come down to the lobby and it's filled with co-workers to celebrate. You remember the day you are married, the day your children are born and the day you passed the UFE."

Once Lennie has completed all the required hours of experience, she will become the second Inuvialuit chartered accountant. Lennie started a Bachelor of Commerce at Grant MacEwan University in 2004 before transferring to the University of Alberta in 2006. Before that she had to upgrade at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology after graduating from Samuel Hearne Secondary School in 2003.

After university, she started working at PricewaterhouseCoopers in September 2009, while completing six modules at the Chartered Accountant School of Business. While completing classes at night and studying for the UFE, Lennie has accumulated 4,375 hours of work experience.

"It was a lot of work. I don't even know how to explain it. A lot of time and a lot of hours," Lennie said. "I had to balance work and school ... but I just have to learn to do it. I like having a social life but I had to make sure I always do my homework. I couldn't have done it without the people being so understanding – my family and friends."

Alison's mom, Barb Lennie, provided support over her whole journey. Alison's dad, Dennie Lennie a chairperson and CEO of the Inuvialuit Development Corporation, died just two weeks into the start of her bachelor's degree. Alison took just nine days off before returning to school and starting on this path.

"He never wanted me to stop doing what I was doing. He thought it was so important," Alison said. "Without the selflessness and support, without my mom's support when my dad passed away, I wouldn't have been able to go back to school so fast. It was tough from the start."

A proud mother

Barb is extremely proud of the accomplishment of her daughter. She knows all the effort that has gone into passing this test, and on the first time, too.

"I'm thrilled and proud because she worked so hard. She went down to Edmonton, upgraded for a year, got a degree and then had four or five interviews to get a good place for the (Chartered Accountant School of Business). It's quite competitive," Barb said. "She wanted to go skiing or on holidays in B.C. with me and couldn't. She worked so hard and I'm thrilled."

Gerry Roy, legal counsel for the Inuvialuit Development Corporation, acknowledged Alison has worked extremely hard to reach this point.

"It's a phenomenal accomplishment and she finished it early," Roy said. "A big barrier to becoming a chartered accountant is the uniform final exam and it's just phenomenal. A chartered accountant is at the top of the heap. A chartered accountant is better than being certified."

In the two years Alison has worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers, she has received excellent feedback from clients. Barnay has known Alison and her family for many years. He has provided services to the Inuvialuit Development Corporation since 1996 and spent four months in Inuvik in 1997 to help with the accounting department.

"It gave me a unique opportunity to experience the North and a taste of some of the challenges that people face as well as the benefits," Barnay said. "I am in no position to see all of the obstacles that Alison faced, but with my time in Inuvik combined with being involved with the Inuvialuit over the last 19 years, I know enough that her accomplishment was not without additional hard work, determination and spirit."

At the 2011 UFE Graduate ceremony in February, Barnay will introduce Alison to the crowd. He made the phone call offering her a job with the firm and has always provided her with support.

"She's a very personable individual and has the attributes to be an accountant and connects with the people she works with and the clients," Barnay said. "We've had great feedback and people appreciate her enthusiasm and completes task to their expectations. She's diligent, a hard worker and a real joy."

Alison still has 15 of 36 months of work at PricewaterhouseCoopers to complete, but the schooling and tests are over for now.

She's looking forward to having more free time and is now thinking about what area of accounting she wants to work in.

As for being the second Inuvialuit chartered accountant, she hopes that other youth interested in business will follow in her path, even if there is a lot of hard work.

"I hope I'm not the last. There's already two of us and I encourage them to go for it," she said. "I'm glad I did it. After I passed the exam I can start having a life again."

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