How does it feel to be valedictorian?
I feel incredibly honoured and humbled to be selected as the FTMBA valedictorian. Coming into the program, I felt extremely overwhelmed to be surrounded by so many intelligent, personable, and successful people. I wondered whether I would fit in with my peers and be able to contribute to classroom discussions.
However, it did not take long for me to realize that this different world I had entered would soon become a family to me—a family that has each other's backs and supports one another.
It came as a pleasant surprise that I had even been nominated. Being selected truly touched my emotions. I hope to be able to make our class proud, not only now but also post-graduation. It is an honour that I do not take lightly and will never forget.
Why do you think your classmates chose you for this honor?
It is hard to pinpoint why my classmates selected me for this honour, but as someone who feels extremely lucky to have been surrounded by such incredible people for the last two years, I hope it had something to do with the friendships I was able to create across the program.
While at Rotman, I tried my best to bring a fun, lighthearted, uplifting presence with me each day that I entered the building.
I tried my best to always leave my peers with a smile on their faces after our interactions. Leaving Rotman, I feel that I have been able to create lifelong friendships with many people, and I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for all of us.
How has the program changed you?
Rotman pushed me to limits that I had never reached before. At times, it felt like the workload, case competitions, and job hunt would never end, but they did. And as they did, I realized why Rotman pushes us so hard. It is because they want us to show ourselves that we can achieve anything we focus on and work towards.
I am leaving Rotman as a much stronger leader, worker and overall person than when I arrived. For that, I say thank you to everyone who has been a part of my journey here.
Describe a highlight of the program.
A major highlight of the program was the amount of diversity and exposure to the rest of the world that Rotman provides. Personally, I had never had the opportunity before to be surrounded by and befriend such a diverse, intelligent group. I spent much of my time in the first year asking my peers questions about their upbringing and backgrounds and sharing with them my own personal story about Indigenous history and life on reserves.
This story that I share about exposure to the world is one that I believe many other students share. From the exchange opportunities many of my closest friends went on to the variety of learning experiences offered around the globe, Rotman stands second to none against other business schools.
What makes my classmates / graduating year special?
As I mentioned briefly above, what makes our graduating year special has nothing to do with how intelligent or motivated we were on an individual scale. What separates us is that we truly learned how to become a family.
We were able to highlight our similarities on a personal level and form deep, genuine friendships with one another. I know that if someone in our program is ever in trouble down the road, or down on their luck, there is not a single person in our program who wouldn't do their best to help them, and that is the true beauty of our group.
I came to Rotman for a great education, and I get to leave with not only that, but also 250 additional family members. Nothing can top that.
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