Nicky Shaw on Expanding Her Horizons with a Kaplan Scholarship

Former West Australian and Perth Scorchers cricketer Nicky Shaw has made the most of the ACA’s partnership with Kaplan Australia, as she studies a Master of Business Administration with Kaplan Business School (KBS) on a scholarship she earned through the joint initiative.

Nicky began her studies with KBS in July 2023, 20 years since she last studied. So, in her first trimester she chose to study just one subject while getting back into the swing of things, before then moving to two for her second trimester.

Nicky praised the process of applying for the scholarship as “really simple. “I was just really honest with what I wanted to achieve going forward. This opportunity, I wouldn’t have it any other way, and I wouldn’t be doing it without the scholarship, because I just wouldn’t be able to afford it.”

The flexibility of being able to study both face-to-face and online, as well as being able to choose the study load has been a massive tick for Nicky, as she juggles the this on top of full-time work.

Nicky couldn’t speak more highly of how much she’s learning, saying “in terms of upskilling, it’s second to none in what I'm learning and the way I'm learning it, and the people I'm meeting as well. It’s something I'd never be able to produce myself.” It fits in perfectly with what she’s doing for work, and where she wants to be in terms of leadership.

Only two trimesters in, Nicky already has an abundance of knowledge, skills and tools that she’s already begun to apply not only in assignments, but at work too.

Throughout the studies, Nicky is thrilled with how supportive KBS have been. Things like building a resume, applying for jobs, providing study writing, as well as research and referencing tips have been some of the highlights, which she finds incredibly different to her university experience 20 years ago.

The diversity of KBS with plenty of international students is an aspect that Nicky finds positive, and regards that as the reason the support is above and beyond.

“KBS has majority of international students, so they cater for everybody. From English being your second language, to studying for the first time, to all sorts of things. In terms of student welfare, it’s probably one of the best setups I've seen.”

When asked what she enjoyed most about studying with KBS, Nicky said “the structure of the units, how there's a variety of assessments, no exams.” “It’s all assessment-based, which fits in with my work and my lifestyle. Then there’s the people that I've met on courses, and how engaging the subject facilitators are.”

Nicky would encourage all ACA members to get involved and apply for a scholarship if they are thinking about it.

“If you have the time and the drive, absolutely do it. There's no reason why you can’t find the time if you want to do it,” she says. “You do have to manage your time and you have to be dedicated to studying, but at the end of the day, it’s definitely worth it. I've got so much out of it already and I'm only a year in. It’s something that I’m really pleased I've had the opportunity to do, and I definitely won’t be wasting it.”

For ACA members interested in applying, you can reach out to your PDM or your ACA contact.