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Jesse Carmichael: ‘I see it as a challenge to work even harder’

The JMSB undergrad’s exemplary leadership earned her a $5,500 grant
April 20, 2015
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By Jesse Carmichael


Governor-General David Johnston (centre) with Jesse Carmichael (at his left) and the other recipients of the 2014 Futures Fund Scholarship for Exemplary Leadership. Governor-General David Johnston (centre) with Jesse Carmichael (at his left) and the other recipients of the 2014 Futures Fund Scholarship for Exemplary Leadership.

An all-expense paid trip to Toronto for a lavish awards ceremony, and $5,500 to support her education — for John Molson School of Business undergraduate student Jesse Carmichael, hard work certainly paid off.

The Concordia student was among the 10 recipients of the 2014 Futures Fund Scholarship for Exemplary Leadership. Established by Canada’s Outstanding CEO of the Year™, the grant recognizes the academic and extra-curricular efforts of Canadian university business students.

Ten new schools are selected each summer to receive the award. Deans then select the individual winners based on their achievements and leadership record.

Here, Carmichael describes the experience of being chosen for the award and rubbing elbows with Canada’s business elite at the ceremony in February.

Jesse Carmichael

I really had no idea what to expect when I filled out my application for the Futures Fund Scholarship in November. The award is based on academic grades, extracurricular involvement and leadership initiatives. I outlined my participation in various case competitions as well as my experience as president of the John Molson Competition Committee. Winning the scholarship came as a huge surprise.

What was even more surprising was the grandeur of the event. We were flown to Toronto in February and spent two nights being pampered by the founder and title sponsor of the scholarship, Caldwell Partners, an international executive search firm.

The Futures Fund Scholarship is given in tandem with the Outstanding CEO of the Year. This year, Don Walker, the CEO of Magna, was recognized.

The first night we arrived in Toronto, we attended the Futures Fund Cocktail Reception at the law offices of Bennett Jones, where we had the opportunity to meet high-profile business executives, like the CEOs of Bennett Jones and Caldwell Partners, as well as Mr. Don Walker himself. The award was initially supposed to be a grant of $5,500, however at the cocktail reception, Don Walker doubled our money, so each of us was awarded $11,000.

The next night, we had the pleasure of attending the 2014 CEO of the Year Gala honouring Don Walker at the Royal Ontario Museum. Over 400 top-level business executives were also in attendance and we were given the chance to meet David Johnston, the governor general of Canada, as well as Jim Balsillie, one of the founders of Blackberry. It was an incredible evening celebrating business in Canada.

Overall, it was an unbelievable experience. I am so grateful to the John Molson School of Business for providing me with the opportunity, as well as to Caldwell Partners for sponsoring the event. I truly learned a lot and it was inspirational to be surrounded by so many top-level Canadian business executives. The prestige of the event just further fuelled my fire. While I view the scholarship as recognition of my hard work, I also see it as a challenge to work even harder to exceed expectations and prove myself fully deserving of the honour.


Learn about the John Molson School of Business Case Competition program

 



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