Jivan Sidhu achieves success in the classroom, on the ice and in the office.
Senior accounting major Jivan Sidhu is a long way from home in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada — 2,884 miles. He transferred to Wilkes to take the ice for the men’s hockey team and found that his spot on the roster helped him settle in. “It definitely makes you feel like you’re part of the Wilkes family,” says Sidhu.
The forward’s days are packed full of classes, homework, practice, training and games. “I like to look at it in a positive way,” says Sidhu of his busy schedule. “It makes you extremely efficient with your day.”
He also earned a spot as a Kirby Scholar, a select internship program housed in the Allan P. Kirby Center for Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship. Scholars support start-up business clients, advising them under the guidance of center staff and local professionals who volunteer as mentors.
Sidhu put his accounting expertise to work, simplifying a set of Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and developing a workbook to help entrepreneurs understand their financial reports. These spreadsheets have been shared with more than 20 clients and undergraduate business students, with a workbook in development.
Such high-level projects are a normal part of the learning process at the Allan P. Kirby Center. “If they fail and they break it, we fix it together,” says Charles Pierce, the center’s assistant director. “They’re allowed to explore their creativity.”
Sidhu is also exploring his options after graduation, debating between certified public accountant or professional hockey in Europe. With his hat trick of experiences at Wilkes, he’s well-prepared no matter what angle he chooses.
