Shu Zhang

Well settled in the picturesque town of Carlow in Southeast Ireland, Shu has found the local inhabitants to be extremely accommodating during her seven-year stay.

Both her lecturers in IT Carlow, where Shu completed a two-year Higher Certificate in Business before progressing to a BA in Accounting from which she graduated in 2006, and her current employers have always been ready to help with any problems she might be experiencing – whether personal or work related.

‘I found the lecturers in IT Carlow are really nice and pleasant,’ she explains. ‘Because as non-Irish people, we [international students] don’t have family around and we always have some problems; so we need somebody to help us out. I always went to my lecturers.’

The fact her Course Director called a local accountancy firm and recommended Shu – where she is currently happily employed – is proof of this readiness to help. Her academic record however, was probably recommendation enough! She received an award for achieving the best results in her class during her Business programme, and was also part of the winning team in a 2005 student stock market investment competition that was sponsored by Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTE.

Shu loves the quiet and relaxed lifestyle in Carlow Town, and in her spare time enjoys travelling Ireland with its ‘beautiful scenery’ and on occasional weekends, visiting friends in Dublin. She can also be found enjoying a drink with colleagues in the local pub after work – a sure sign of settling into Irish life!