Graduate success stories
SAF grad recommends international opportunities
My degree has allowed me the opportunity to pursue a designation that has truly been life changing. I've travelled the world, working in some exciting places and met people that have become like family to me.
Advice to students from Shikha Gandhi (MAcc 2004), Senior Manager in Deloitte
It's all relative. What may seem like the most important decision of your life today, may not be once you look back and examine the series of decisions you make over a lifetime. So please don’t stress and miss out on the exciting stuff that each day has to offer!
SAF Alumna Tracy Elop reflects on the impact of international exposure on her career
Masters of Accounting (MAcc) and Waterloo's reputation opened doors for me early in my career. The analytical, problem-solving, and people skills I gained helped to move my career beyond the world of accounting and finance and into senior levels of not-for-profit management.
Advice to students from Tracy Elop (MAcc 1989), CEO of Carizon Family and Community Services
Work hard, play hard, and get involved in your community. SAF has allowed me to combine my passion for not-for-profit work with a strong foundational skill set to do what I love.
Tracy was nominated for the 2013 Alumni Award, and went on a trip of a lifetime with her family. Read how international exposure has impacted Tracy's career.
Sisters share perspectives
"It's somewhat embarr
assing!" What Cynthia McIntyre [Loeffen] (MAcc '96) is talking about is the kind of faux pas we've all done or imagined doing. Years ago at Waterloo, she ticked the wrong box on a co-op job application form. "I think she did it 'accidentally on purpose,'"suggests her sister Heather Wright [Loeffen] (MAcc '98). Both are tax experts — and their career choices have proved to be exactly right.
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Triathletes find camaraderie, fitness and friendship
If the license plate of the car ahead says "A TRIGUY," you're behind ace triathlon competitor and UW Accounting grad Scott Slaven (BA '82). And that could be fellow triathlete Bernie Linseman (BMath '81) beside him. Triathlons enable the London, Ontario duo to build their physical strength, focus their minds — and rekindle their youthful vigour. "The great thing is the inspiration you receive," Bernie reports.
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Grad activates passion for fashion
"My career path has been anything but linear, which comes as a bit of a surprise even to me!" says Sharon Ng (MAcc '04). There's a back story and a front story here. Her daytime job as a merchandise planner is one thing, her nighttime job is quite another — and that's the front story for this posting: the popular "Backseat Stylers" fashion blog that she and her sister created. Their casual exploration of the fashion world spiraled into an addiction. Read more.
SAF grad scales path to Neverest
When she was a student at Waterloo, Cindy Kottoor (MAcc '97) never envisioned running her own company. "I assumed I'd work for established global organizations," she recalls. "Working for myself wasn't an option I was exposed to — or even recognized! So, when I started my business, I really had to figure out everything from scratch."
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Grad enjoys company's products and perks
"I started True&Co. in my living room, with 500 bras and a pen-and-paper survey that reminded me of the Cosmo quizzes my friends and I loved in high school," explains the company's CEO and co-founder, who concedes that she and her colleagues never imagined becoming bra experts. "But we love what we do, helping women find their perfect fit. We created a brand new way to fit women online in two minutes with no fitting rooms, no measuring tape!" Read more.
Grad take PATH to healthful adventure
Preparing to launch the enterprise was both nervous and exciting, she admits. "It felt like jumping off a cliff! Accountants are typically risk adverse, and starting a new business from scratch was completely opposite to what I was used to."
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