Jiadi Yang has a history of helping people, from volunteering at Peking University – where she assisted high school students with their university admissions process – to interning with The Australian National University (ANU) Tax Clinic, giving guidance to lower-income and vulnerable communities.
For her hard work and commitment to the ANU Tax Clinic, Jiadi was awarded ANU College of Business and Economics (CBE) Postgraduate Intern of the Year in Semester 1, 2024. She collaborated with professional mentors to provide confidential consulting services and delivered informative tax workshops for those in need.
Jiadi completed the Master of Accounting program at ANU, and a Master of Data Science from Peking University before that, where she researched 5G networking and communications. She was admitted to Peking University at age 14 and was just 18 when she completed her Bachelor degree in Computer Science.
While Jiadi is proud to have received the CBE Intern of the Year award, helping people is what counts for her.
“I chose to intern at the ANU Tax Clinic because I wanted to share my expertise with others, which brings me a sense of satisfaction. I feel excited and greatly honoured to receive this recognition of my work,” shares Jiadi.
In helping others, Jiadi has also grown confident in her professional capabilities.
“This experience enhanced both my professional and soft skills. It taught me practical tax knowledge and skills that are rarely covered in courses. It also strengthened my workplace communication, including collaboration with mentors and team members, as well as interactions with clients to better address their queries.”
Internship host supervisor, Carolyn Drury, believes interns like Jiadi play a crucial role in fulfilling the ANU Tax Clinic's social responsibility.
“Interns help the ANU Tax Clinic achieve its mission of supporting vulnerable communities by contributing their skills, time, and effort to provide valuable tax services and support, including direct tax assistance through appointments, client education and empowerment, and community outreach activities,” Carolyn says.
And according to Carolyn, while CBE Interns are valuable contributors to the University’s very own Tax Clinic, they have much to bring to industry, too.
“Interns vary in their approach—some are quiet achievers, while others are outgoing and confident. Regardless of their style, each intern possesses an exceptional work ethic and makes a meaningful contribution, driven by a genuine desire to make a difference,” she says.
“Offering an internship to a CBE student brought a dedicated hard worker with a fresh perspective to my team. CBE Interns come from diverse backgrounds and are engaging, interested in learning, and easy to work with. They bring with them cultural experiences that help us understand our clients better.”
Find out more about becoming an intern host here, an ANU Tax Clinic mentor here, or explore other engagement opportunities.
Student applications for CBE Internships in Semester 1, 2025 are open from Wednesday 16 October, and close Wednesday 30 October. Find out more here.
The ANU College of Business and Economics offers an extensive range of specialised programs. Click here for more details.
Student bio
In addition to her Master of Accounting, Jiadi holds a Master of Data Science from Peking University, where she researched 5G networking and communications. She was admitted to Peking University at the age of 14 and completed her Bachelor in Computer Science by age 18. Jiadi volunteered at the admissions team of Peking University from 2017 to 2023, leading a group of student members to carry out consulting sessions and assessments. During her internship with the ANU Tax Clinic she collaborated with professional mentors to provide informative consulting services. She also delivered workshops for young tax beginners and ANU international students.