I came to the Full-time MBA at Smith School of Business because ...

I chose the Smith MBA for a few reasons; it is consistently ranked as a top five program across Canada, I highly valued the team-based learning approach and it allowed me to return to Smith School of Business and Kingston, after completing my undergraduate degree, GDB and MIB at Smith years before.

If I went back and gave myself advice one year ago, it would be twofold: to embrace discomfort and, equally important, a phrase that was mentioned several times in our orientation week, “you’ll be fine”. Enrolling in a full-time MBA is a big investment and requires a lot of sacrifice in your career and personal life. But in that, nothing truly good comes without discomfort and a little bit of sacrifice, so embrace that and know you’ll be fine.

The best bit of advice I could offer would be to leverage the many resources that are offered to you when applying. Your Application Advisor is an incredible source of support, knowledge and motivation that truly can help through the process. The Queen’s and Smith alumni and networks that are available during your application are also incredible resources that can field any number of questions or concerns.

Lastly, the Smith MBA aligns with my goals in offering the opportunity to make a transition from sales into a new career. The extensive network of current class members, alumni and partners with Smith all contribute to what I’m sure will be an incredible and fulfilling experience over the next twelve months.

• Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
• Country of Origin: Canada
• Prior Industry: Tech Sales
• Career Focus: Operations/Other