Blog post

An MBA journey: When experiential learning leads to a journey of growth

John Molson MBA Q&A series

August 11, 2021

By Chris Wise

Source: John Molson School of Business

John Molson MBA Q&A is a series of interview-style blogposts discussing the John Molson School of Business graduate programs experience from the perspective of current students, faculty and alumni.

This week, we interview Magalie Han, MBA ’21, about the benefits of taking full advantage of John Molson's experiential learning opportunities.

Please introduce yourself

My name is Magalie Han and I am originally from Mauritius. I am currently an Advancement Coordinator at Concordia University where I work in strategic fundraising for the Planned Giving unit. My academic background is in fine arts and I started my career managing the operations of two galleries representing Canadian artists. Art was my passion and I participated in group exhibitions and won art competitions. However, at one point, I realized that my knowledge was limited to the arts and wanted to learn something new. After careful reflection and evaluation of different options, I applied for the Graduate Diploma in Business Administration (GDBA) program at the John Molson School of Business. Little did I know how much I would enjoy learning about business!

In art school, most students enjoy working alone in the studio to get inspiration. In business school, you have the opportunity to work with other students on projects and learn from team members. I started to get involved in student clubs and participate in events where I met many MBA students. I remember being inspired by the way they think, which led to very interesting discussions. At the end of the GDBA, deciding to pursue the John Molson MBA was a natural step.

What were the highlights of your student experience at the John Molson School of Business?

The highlight of my GDBA and MBA experiences is definitely the people I met and the relationships I built with the community. By being involved in clubs and participating in events, I got the opportunity to interact and work with so many talented individuals from different academic, professional and cultural backgrounds, which made my MBA journey very enriching.

As part of the GDBA, I got involved as VP Conference of the John Molson Women in Business Club. In this position, I was in charge of securing monetary and in-kind sponsorships, recruiting high profile speakers, and coordinating the venue, marketing, logistics, and catering. The 9^th edition of the Women in Business conference, which took place at the Omni Hotel, was sold out with over 160 attendees, representing an increase of 46% compared to the previous year. Through this role, I gained much confidence in my ability to manage large-scale events while collaborating and negotiating with a variety of stakeholders.

The 9th edition of the John Molson Women in Business Club conference

During the MBA, I served as President of the International Community Outreach Program (ICOP), which gave me the opportunity to develop my leadership skills. With the support of my team, I organized the ICOP Annual Social Business Case Competition where we collaborated with World Vision Canada and World Vision Kenya to create a real-life social business case on the agricultural challenges faced by Kenya. 36 graduate business students participated and presented innovative ideas to judges from the academic, business and non-profit sector. The ideas were then considered for implementation by World Vision Canada and Kenya.

Additionally, I created international development internship opportunities in Uganda and Colombia for graduate business students to put their MBA skills and knowledge at the service of non-profit organizations. From contracts, visas, insurance, vaccinations to accommodation, I coordinated the logistics with the interns. Also, I had to ensure that the needs and objectives of our international partners were satisfied in conjunction with the valuable and enjoyable learning experience of our interns.

Lastly, my involvement in case competitions, both as an organizer and participant, definitely contributed to shaping me into the professional I am today.

Tell us more about your experience as a case competition organizer, competitor and team captain?

The John Molson ICOP Social Business Case Competition

Initially, I was mostly involved in the organization of case competitions. During my GDBA, I acted as a Lead Volunteer for team hosts and logistics at the John Molson MBA International Case Competition (ICC) and, while in the MBA, served as VP Communications for the MBA Case Competition Committee. However, I also wanted to get out of my comfort zone ‘behind the scenes’ and challenge myself by becoming a competitor.

Each case competition is different and brings new learning opportunities. As a competitor, I worked with team members from various academic, professional and cultural experiences who brought together different ideas and perspectives. During a case competition, you have limited time (sometimes 3 hours) to read and understand the case, discuss, work on your individual slides and be ready to present to the judges right away. Therefore, it is crucial to manage time efficiently for discussions and agree on a common strategy. I learned to work with different personalities and adapt my communication accordingly.

I also learned to receive and integrate constant feedback from our coaches when preparing for the MBA Games Academic Case Competition in January 2021. At times, I must admit that this was really tough, especially when you have put your heart and soul into the work. However, every time our team implemented changes based on the feedback, we noticed how our work improved to the next level. With the support of the coaches, I constantly strived to work on myself.

As team captain for the MBA Games, I had to manage communications and logistics with the host organizers, the John Molson MBA Case Competition Committee, our coaches and my team. I took the responsibility of ensuring that conflicts were resolved quickly so the team could perform at its best.

Overall, through case competitions, I got the opportunity to meet, work with and learn from many bright individuals. As an organizer and a participant, this experience contributed to sharpening my strategic thinking, analytical and presentation skills. Beyond that, this experience helped in my personal growth, pushing me to adapt to constantly changing and challenging situations and making me a more resilient person.

What would be your advice for future MBAs?

The John Molson MBA Case Competition Committee

When I started the MBA, I remember someone said, “You get what you put into it”. And this is absolutely true. Two students may take the exact same core and elective courses, but their MBA experience may be completely different based on how much effort they put into the program, the activities they do outside of classes and the people they interact with. There are so many opportunities to get involved in the MBA, but time is always the most precious commodity in this intense program.

To future MBA students, I would say:

Figure out from the beginning what you want to get out of the MBA.
Write down your goals (ex. Improve communication and presentation skills, gain leadership skills, broaden your network) and revisit them regularly.
From there, identify the clubs and activities in which you want to invest your time and energy.
Manage your time, but also your energy. Create space in your agenda for daily self-care such as exercise, meditation and taking breaks.
Know who your support system is (MBA peers, friends, family members).
Remember to help each other in the MBA and to enjoy the journey.

For more information on the John Molson Full-time and Part-time MBA, visit our website. Then connect with a recruiter to ask a question or arrange a one-to-one meeting, or you can participate in one of our many online information sessions.