Valedictorian energized by her experience at Concordia
Toumai Kafri, one of two valedictorians from Concordia’s John Molson School of Business (JMSB) this spring, starts a new job as a treasury analyst for a local company in a couple of weeks. A few short years ago, business was just one of the many career paths she considered pursuing. “I was thinking about biology or computation arts,” she says.
Kafri was born in Montreal, but spent her childhood moving back and forth between Canada and Israel. She decided to enrol at Concordia because she had some family ties in Montreal and wanted to study in English. It was not until she visited JSMB that that she decided for certain to study finance.
“I attended one of the info sessions and found everyone to be so welcoming – it felt like a very personal environment,” she says. “Now, four years later, I’m happy to say that my feelings about the place were right on! It really is a friendly, accessible place.”
Kafri says she was energized by her experience at the business school. “I’ve met so many great people during my studies at JMSB,” she emphasizes. “I am constantly inspired when I see the amazing things that some of my classmates are up to outside the classroom.”
Inside the classroom, Kafri focused her efforts on international finance. “I really wanted to learn how finance works,” she says. “In particular, I was interested in microfinance. I find the potential in that area really fascinating.”
Kafri is a member of the Golden Key Concordia Chapter, an honour offered to the top 15 per cent of students in each undergraduate program at the university, and part of an international organization recognizing exceptional academic achievement.
During the past four years, Kafri also assumed key responsibilities in a number of student-run organizations that had her in charge of the planning for a large ceremony, initiating volunteer and fundraising activities, organizing events within budget, and helping to arrange for a notable speaker to visit the downtown campus.
Kafri would like eventually to work for a non-profit organization. She comes alive when discussing her desire to help others.
“That’s where my heart is,” she says. “Microfinancing was developed as a way to alleviate poverty, but we are increasingly seeing the principles being applied for massive profit. I would like to be involved in adjusting the mechanism — finding a way to tweak the existing model to benefit organizations that are doing good in the world.”
Travelling the world ranks high on Kafri’s post-graduation wish list. “It will have to wait, though, as I start my new job almost immediately after graduation,” she says.
Related links:
• Read about more 2012 Great Grads in the John Molson School of Business
• John Molson School of Business