I still remember the days back in high school where I would put countless hours into preparing for DECA Provincials with my case partner, a business competition that most high schoolers dream of winning. A few weeks ago, I got the privilege to sit on the other side of the table as a judge representing the School of Accounting & Finance at DECA’s Leadership Development Academy event category with over 200 students competing.
As a 4th year student in the AFM program, I was challenged to adjudicate, alongside two other industry professionals, over 20 student submissions of proposals around a potential merger between two companies within the entertainment industry. Students were put to the test in terms of their ability to understand mergers, the strategic rationale behind them, and the potential risks that may be associated with them. Beyond judging, I also got the chance to facilitate a panel with four fellow first year SAF students. On the panel, we got to share different perspectives (mine as an upper year and theirs as a first year of SAF) and experiences to showcase the strength of our students here at SAF!
Having been a SAF student for almost four years now, the incredible education and work experience that I received has allowed me to further my personal and professional development. It is truly amazing how full circle this experience was for me, as it wasn’t too long ago where I was sitting in the shoes of the high school DECA competitors!