“Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.” – Bruce Lee, Philosopher, Martial Arts Instructor, Actor, Screenwriter, Producer

Whenever I hear the question “What is your main achievement?”, it always makes me reflect thoughtfully. I’m quite a self-rigorous individual, and I always try to set big goals. Although I have a lot of accomplishments I am proud of, I would like to share the story of a person who happened to change his life entirely.

About one and a half years ago, I landed at Toronto Pearson International Airport to have one of the happiest months in my life. I came to Canada to attend a short-term English Program at the University of Toronto, and that experience changed the way I looked at things. I met a lot of extraordinary people from all over the world, significantly improved my English proficiency, and developed a global perspective. I was a different person when I came back to Moscow, and although I was not completely sure of which path to choose, I was bound and determined to take the next step in my personal development journey.

At that time, I had a full-time job that was demanding and challenging enough to keep me engaged and motivated. However, I felt a strong desire to challenge myself even further and learn more. That was the reason why I started to consider pursuing a graduate degree in business.

At first glance, my decision to apply to the Master of Management Program seemed absolutely unrealistic. I was literally stunned with the huge amount of work I faced when beginning the application process. I had to considerably improve my proficiency in English. I had to spend months preparing for the GMAT – improving my quantitative as well as qualitative skills. I had to do a lot of other challenging things on my way to Sauder, but I never regret that. It was an experience that is worth getting through and that made me far stronger in every aspect of my life.

Today, I am happy and proud to be a student of unquestionably one of the most prestigious business schools in the world. This program has been transforming me since the very first day. It made me understand deeply what a real challenge and work looks and feels like. It let me collaborate with an amazingly diverse cohort of people from all around the world, and this experience fundamentally changed my understanding of things like commitment, reliability, teamwork, success, networking, personal and professional development.

Apart from the excellent business education, I learned to make the most of my inherent talent, interests, vision, and values. I still remember the first days of the program when we were frequently asked “What do you really want to do when you graduate?”. 90% of the class, including myself, could not confidently answer that question because we all came here to discover ourselves. Now, if you ask the same question, you will hear a completely different answer. And that is what this program is all about – answering questions that matter, and finding your own path to succeed and enjoy the journey we call life. I can confidently say that one of my greatest achievements is to be here, among these bright and intelligent people, and be a part of this experience. What about you? Are you ready to discover yourself?

– Jeremy Velichko