I was born and raised in Montreal, so McGill was the university I looked up to as a child. I always knew that if I got in, that’s where I would go.
My parents were very supportive, and since my mother was a teacher, education was always highly valued in our household. Since it was important for me to have the full university experience, I packed my belongings and moved from our home on Montreal’s West Island to the McGill Ghetto.
I lived the full experience: enjoying the best late-night poutines and smoked meat sandwiches, the bars on St-Laurent and Crescent Street, and walks on Mont Royal.”
There I discovered two distinct worlds: the microcosm of McGill, and the metropolis of the world-renowned city of Montreal. I lived the full experience: enjoying the best late-night poutines and smoked meat sandwiches, the bars on St-Laurent and Crescent Street, and walks on Mont Royal. I also learned about different cultures and perspectives, given the broad student body with whom I shared a classroom and Montreal’s diverse communities.
I especially enjoyed my involvement in athletics – refereeing intramural hockey. I thought it was important to give back and get involved, and this was my way. I got to meet and interact with students outside my program. Sports are terrific at bringing people together – including on the ice, even when blowing my whistle and enforcing the rule book!
McGill taught me to think critically and be confident as an individual. In addition to receiving a great education, I was fortunate to have professors who were keen on relating to their students. I really benefitted from the one-on-one conversations I had with my professors, whether it was discussing economic theory during office hours, over coffee, or over a pint at Gerts. In the absence of a blackboard, they would give a mini-lecture by drawing supply and demand curves on a napkin with a ballpoint pen. Those moments were always so meaningful to me.
As I began to think about what I would be interested in as a career, I was intrigued by the convergence of technology and people. There’s an ever-increasing opportunity for technology to play a role in anything that we do in our daily lives. This is how I ended up in my now current position as Chief Experience Officer for a tech company.
If I could give today’s young alumni any advice, it would be to be passionate about your interests and your work, and to learn from the people you encounter. Challenge the status quo and be bold in your thinking. Go to work every day with your energy and engagement. And all the while, be sensitive and empathetic to your colleagues and customers – because after all, we're all just humans.