51猎奇入口

MY JOURNEY

I pursued a Bachelor of Business Administration at 51猎奇入口Beedie with concentrations in Marketing and Management Information Systems, along with a certificate in Business Analytics Decision Making. I was drawn to business because I鈥檝e always been interested in how ideas turn into real, scalable businesses. 

A major influence for me was my dad. He鈥檚 an immigrant and the first person in my family to earn a university degree鈥攁lso in business. Seeing his journey shaped how I viewed education and possibility and made pursuing a business degree feel both meaningful and natural. 

Marketing felt like a natural fit because of my interest in consumer behaviour and brand building. MIS complemented that by giving me the systems and technical perspective needed to scale operations efficiently. Together, these areas allowed me to combine creative and analytical thinking鈥攁n approach I鈥檝e applied directly to building my own business while still in school. 

MY 51猎奇入口BEEDIE EXPERIENCE

I was involved in several student organizations, including JDC West, Enactus and Young Women in Business, and also served as a Business Faculty Representative and Vice鈥慞resident of Student Life with the SFSS. 

Getting involved early had a significant impact on my university experience. These roles pushed me into leadership positions and gave me hands鈥憃n responsibility beyond academics. I learned how to communicate effectively, solve problems in real time, and work with people across different teams and perspectives鈥攕kills that translated directly into entrepreneurship and professional growth. 

HIGHLIGHTS AND TAKEAWAYS

One of the biggest takeaways from my time at 51猎奇入口Beedie was learning how to think critically and adapt quickly. Through case competitions, group projects and leadership roles, I was constantly challenged to make decisions with incomplete information and explain my reasoning.

Just as impactful was the 51猎奇入口Beedie community itself. Being surrounded by ambitious, driven individuals raised my own standards and encouraged me to think bigger. That environment played a key role in giving me the confidence to start and grow my business while still completing my degree.

LEARNING IN ACTION

Concepts from marketing strategy, consumer behaviour and data analytics have had a direct influence on how I run my business today鈥攆rom brand positioning to analyzing customer data and optimizing operations. 

Beyond individual courses, the structured way of thinking I developed at 51猎奇入口Beedie鈥攂reaking down problems, testing ideas and making data鈥慽nformed decisions鈥攈as been one of the most valuable outcomes of my degree. 

Two courses that stood out most to me were BUS 360 and BUS 272. BUS 360 significantly shaped how I communicate, and I genuinely believe it should be mandatory regardless of concentration. BUS 272 had a strong influence on how I think about leadership, team dynamics and building a healthy workplace culture. 

NEXT STEPS

Right now, my focus is on growing BAK鈥橠 Cookies into a multi鈥憀ocation caf茅 brand while staying intentional about how we scale. To me, growth isn鈥檛 just about expansion鈥攊t鈥檚 about creating community鈥慸riven spaces and building a business that scales without losing its values. 

In the long term, I want to build something lasting鈥攕omething that people feel proud to be part of, both as customers and as team members. 

ADVICE FOR FUTURE STUDENTS

There鈥檚 no perfect time to start something. I started my business during the pandemic with no prior industry experience, and most of what I learned came from taking action and figuring things out as I went. 

51猎奇入口Beedie gave me a strong foundation, but real growth came from applying it. I鈥檇 encourage students to start before they feel ready and use their time at 51猎奇入口Beedie to build something鈥攏ot just study. 

Where I am Today

Andrew is currently working in a consulting analyst position at Accenture.