A quarter into my Sauder MBA Journey I stop, breathe in and try to go to the balcony, like I learned in Consulting and Strategic Management Class, to see the big picture and put everything in perspective.

I now have confirmation that even a right-brainer like myself does have a place in the Sauder MBA Program. After taking classes like Creativity and Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation and learning tools like the Design Thinker and Mind Mapping I choose to step to the right of the left hemisphere of my brain and fulfill my meaning in a purposeful way.

Reflecting on the months that have past I learned the importance of connecting with fellow classmates and professionals alike and getting involved in the space I care about. For me part of that space is the Net Impact UBC Chapter of which I have had the honor of being elected president. It is my opportunity to take business concepts and ideas from the classroom and apply them into the Greater Vancouver community. These first few months on my MBA Journey have confirmed my initial assumption that business is, indeed, an engine for change. I have been fortunate in these months to have the guidance and support of amazing and dedicated people who encouraged me to actively learn and improve my skills, which I will then employ for the benefit of my community.

Being selected to participate in the Sauder Early Alumni Connect Program made me feel part of the Sauder global network from the very beginning. I felt motivated and engaged to learn and become a part of the Canadian professional network. I have discovered partners and friends worth investing in! Actually, this may be one of the key lessons of the first quarter of my MBA Journey: invest the time to become a part of my network and prove that I deserve my place at the table by bringing my unique self into the conversation.

Volunteering with the Greater Vancouver Food Bank, together with like-minded fellow Sauder MBAs I had a first opportunity to pay if forward…

I take these first few lessons and continue to design the next part of my MBA Journey. Come January I begin my chosen career track at Sauder: Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship, one of my goals being to place my dot on the map of Vancouver’s entrepreneurial ecosystem!