As an initiative to celebrate our multiculturalism and learn about and share each others’ cultural traditions, this year we began an initiative called the MM Culture Presentations. The idea is to have classmates volunteer to do brief presentations on their cultural background, followed by a small Q&A during lunch breaks. Initially, I wanted these to have a strong focus on how business is conducted in different cultures, however, with time it became apparent that the presentations should focus on the cultures themselves. Although we started late, I believe that having this initiative helped our cohort bond even further and many found the presentations engaging and inspiring. Current students have presented about Russia, Taiwan, India, Ontario, the Jiangnan area in China and Turkey. I believe there is potential in turning this into an interest-based presentation series similar to the ones held by the MBA Society. For the future, I hope this develops into a sort of Lunch&Learn, a concept that is becoming popular in small businesses/start-ups to increase employee engagement.

Below are some testimonials from presenters. Please have a read.

“It was an honor to do a cultural presentation on Taiwan in front of a class full of students with different backgrounds. Doing this presentation not only gave us the opportunity to introduce our culture, but it also reminded us of those cherished memories we have about our home.”

“We got to see how others thought and felt about our culture, and had the opportunity to speak about topics they were most interested that we hadn’t thought of even presenting on at first.”

“I think we didn’t realize how much we wanted to share. Before we even knew it, time was up! Many people came up to us later to express how much they learned and enjoyed the presentations.”

I am very proud to have been a part of this initiative and to see many of my classmates ask great questions, learn about each other, and gain insights into how business might be conducted in different cultures. It is my hope that this initiative continues for years into the future so that MM students can always take advantage of the cultural learnings in our diverse cohorts.

-Parawin Adisayathepkul, VP International

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Sunday April 26^th – A small, but mighty group of our class went out to Spanish Banks West/East to clean up the beach in our own MM Shoreline Cleanup.

The Shoreline Cleanup is a local initiative run by the Vancouver Aquarium and the World Wildlife Foundation. Anyone can organize a local cleanup at the beach of his or her choice by going to http://www.shorelinecleanup.ca/.

Although you wouldn’t think there is a lot of garbage at Spanish Banks, we managed to collect over 6 full bags of garbage! Among the expected bottles and cans, we picked up some unusual items including: a pillow, one shoe and one sock, a pair of gloves, and a road sign.

This was the last event in a series of 4 volunteering initiatives which included: a day at the Vancouver Food Bank, running in UBC’s Run for Rural Medicine, cooking a meal at the Ronald McDonald House and lastly, the Shoreline Cleanup. Although there were a variety of volunteer options, each event had the commonality of great, hard working volunteers. It was so rewarding to have the opportunity to make a difference in our community together as a class. We hope to see the local volunteering initiatives carried on with the next MM cohort because we know that they will get as much out of it as we did.

– Marni-Lyn Fox

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When we started the MM program in September, I remember alumni and faculty telling our cohort that the program would be done before we knew it and to make the most of it. They weren’t joking! Period 5, our last and final set of courses, has arrived! Just five more weeks of classes and we will be on our merry way – out of the comfort of room 337, the MM Lounge and breakout rooms – and into the real business world. No more Mikes Bikes simulations, just real world decisions!

As we near the end of the program, many questions fill our minds – “What’s next? More school? Will I be deported after my visa expires?” and the scariest of them all, “Will I get that job I’ve been working toward?” But as we contemplate our future and look forward to May 25th, let’s not forget to enjoy the moment. I mean, where else can we get free lunches, sweet treats that magically show up in the lounge when we are stressed, or a personal support team that is dedicated to our careers! But above all, the thing that I will miss most is the camaraderie with my fellow MMs. Never was one of the late nights I spent at Sauder without a little fun and laughter. In a few years, I may not remember what TQM stood for or whether something is a debit or credit. But what I will remember are those many study sessions always filled with laughter, food and friendship. I value the new friendships I made and the people I study with because of the genuine respect and concern we have for each other. While some of us want to work in the same industry and are pursuing the same positions, never do we hold back from helping each other apply for those same jobs. These are the kinds of connections and friendships that I’m happy to leave the MM program with.

As we move into our last term, I want to encourage each of you to finish strong. Not just academically but in every aspect of the MM experience. Make connections, develop your brand and above all build lasting friendships. Ask yourself, “what do I want to leave with after MM,” then make it happen over the next five weeks we have left together. Make the most of the rest of your MM experience!

Peace out – Brennan Lee

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