Lumen brings you the story of how Eion grew into the successful Chartered Accountant he is today!
The Lumen team are passionate about education, boosting the potential of future generations and understanding the needs of communities like ours across the Wheatbelt. To better understand and support those studying in our region, we headed out into the community to hear about the education experience of local people. We sat down with Eion Ganzer and this is his story.
Eion was born and raised in the rolling hills of the Wongan-Ballidu Shire, and now has a family of his own in his beloved town. Looking over his father’s shoulder and helping out with the bookkeeping on the farm computer, Eion’s keen interest sparked and ignited the journey that would lead him to running his own accounting firm here in Wongan Hills. Eion went to school in Wongan Hills up to year 10 and completed his secondary education at boarding school. TAFE progressed his education before continuing to university to become an Accountant. Smiling at his success and ink still drying on his degree, Eion headed to Merredin where he started his work as an Accountant. It wasn’t long before he decided to embark on the long drive towards becoming a Chartered Accountant. Still working in Merredin, Eion would finish work, drive to Perth to attend his classes before driving over three hours back home again and do it all again the next week. When talking about his education, Eion expressed his gratitude towards the caring and supporting nature of those in the Wheatbelt, saying how his mentor was always there to support him, only ever a phone call away.
In 2004, whispers of the local Accountant shutting down in Wongan Hills reached Eion’s ears. Drawn by the opportunity, Eion once again became a member of the Wongan Hills community, firing up his own accounting firm ‘Wongan Hills Accounting and Tax’. Twenty years later, Eion now has two part-time employees, including a qualified Bookkeeper. Eion still loves his work, enjoying the challenges of each new day offered by his diverse client list. The same local connections that helped him to secure and establish his own business, have led to a great list of clients spread all over the Wheatbelt and other areas.
It is stories like Eion’s that highlight the challenges placed on the shoulders of rural and remote students, and the sheer strength required of students to overcome those obstacles. With a lot of classes now being offered online, the burden of travel or moving to the city has been lessened. Students still face challenges and that is why Lumen is vital. With our feet on the ground, we are better able to understand the needs of our students and advocate for them in various situations in the hopes of improving outcomes and increasing aspirations of those in the Wheatbelt. We can support our students face to face, connect them with other valuable resources in both local and university communities, as well as generally helping them to not feel so isolated. Even Eion, having completed his studies, remarked on how valuable services like these would have been when he was studying. If anyone else is interested in sharing their education journey, or wish to start a journey of their own, please contact us. We will be here to support you every step of the way.
Thank you again Eion, for taking the time to sit down with us.