I was initially going to call this post ‘I Love Fridays’ but when I started thinking about what to say about the program over the past few weeks ‘Opening Worlds’ seemed like a much better title. If it sounds familiar to you, and hopefully it does, that’s because it is the motto for Sauder. When I first heard the line I have to admit that I wondered how much my experience at Sauder would reflect that phrase. I wondered if Sauder really did offer what it seemed to be promising.
It’s been a few weeks since I’ve had a chance to come and sit under my tree on campus to enjoy the fresh air and sun shice. Being an MBA student doesn’t give you as much time to get outside to enjoy the sun and fresh air as you’d like. But I think it’s important to create space for that in a busy lifestyle and Friday afternoons seem to be that time for me. As I was walking home from school earlier this afternoon it struck me how much has happened over the past 5 or 6 weeks. While any given day almost seems like a monotone of class and study things look much more interesting from the 10,000 foot view.
I’ve only been in Vancouver a couple of months but it already appears that Sauder is ‘Opening Worlds’ for me. I’ve made my first steps towards becoming involved with the British Columbia Technology Industry Association, I’m involved in a group creating a business plan for a sustainability initiative in the Philippines, I’ve been approached by a few firms I’ve dealt with in Oceania seeking my professional asisstance and I’m making inroads into improving the flow of information to MBA students at Sauder. On a daily basis I seem to be working with organizations from around the world and a significant portion of that is outside the classroom.
Two years ago I was an entry level programmer in New Zealand, a year ago I was sleeping in the back of an SUV driving across North America trying to figure out what I wanted out of life. Today I’m sitting under a tree on the UBC Vancouver campus still trying to figure out what I want out of life. The difference now is that through the MBA program at Sauder I’m learning all the business and life skills that I need to pursue whatever I choose, anywhere in the world.
