If anyone exemplifies Raleigh International’s success as a youth development charity, it’s 26-year-old Nakia Foggo, internal auditor at the Argus Group. Having embarked on a three-month expedition to Namibia with Raleigh immediately upon graduating from Berkeley in 2006, her intelligence was quickly recognised by one of her fellow travellers with connections at Argus, and the rest is history. With her talents discovered and secured by a local company before she’d even gone to university, Foggo benefits from a long-standing professional relationship that developed throughout her post-secondary education and right into her career. Argus “consistently invited me back to work as a student during breaks from university,” she says, proving the company’s well-placed confidence in her abilities.
In the workplace, Foggo appreciates that her position removes her from her comfort zone “just enough to stretch me and help me grow,” such growth being fundamental in the ever-evolving field of auditing. Stressing patience as a key professional virtue, she recommends that anyone starting on this career path be able to view positive steps, no matter how small, as “seeds” without getting frustrated at what they might perceive as slow advancement. “You may not start out in your dream position, but with a positive attitude and commitment to your work, you’ll get there eventually.” Foggo’s next big career goal is to acquire her professional certified internal auditor designation, a naturally smart step towards her ultimate ambition of becoming senior management at one of Argus’s global offices. “The plan is to be a seasoned veteran, one of the best Argus has ever seen!”
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