Highlights from November 2023 graduation: IMI graduates reflect on their growth and future

This past November, graduates from the Institute for Management and Innovation (IMI) celebrated their success at Convocation. Graduation is both a time to reflect on the past and look forward to all the future holds. Students from the Master of Forensic Accounting, Master of Management of Innovation and Master of Management and Professional Accounting and crossed the stage at Convocation Hall. For three IMI graduates, Claire Ban, Farhana Cheema and Laura Percy, graduating from IMI has equipped them with invaluable skills as they each navigate their professional careers moving forward. But more than that, graduating from IMI is much more than just a steppingstone to one’s desired career; it is a time of incredible change, personal growth, and fostering of meaningful experiences and friendships. 

Laura Percy recently graduated from the Master of Forensic Accounting (MFAcc) program. Laura is passionate about the intersection of accounting and forensics, as evidenced by her Bachelor of Accounting (BAcc) and Master of Accountancy (MAcc) from Brock University. Laura is also a Certified Fraud Examiner and a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA). With such a strong professional background already, Laura says that “I chose the MFAcc program to help me combine the knowledge of these two designations to get the most out of them.” Many of IMI’s programs are dedicated to bringing diverse and unconventional perspectives to traditional understandings of subjects. In IMI’s MFAcc program, curious students like Percy were given the inspiration to think outside the traditional boxes of accounting and be prepared for a dynamic and ever-changing job market. 

Laura shared that the program’s integrative capstone project was a special time for her since it was an opportunity to meet her fellow classmates in-person and share their experiences of growth and learning: “it amazed me how close a group of people could become so quickly. Even though we had only spent a few days together in-person, it was clear we all supported each other and wanted out classmates to succeed as much as ourselves.” Among IMI’s strengths, a commitment to fostering a feeling of community is common across all its programs, even among students from across the globe. Moving forward, Laura’s experiences of personal and professional growth in the MFAcc program are sure to be an asset as she hopes to work in law enforcement as an investigator of financial crimes. 

Another November graduate, Claire Ban, also states that collaborating with her peers and working towards a collective effort for enhancing each other’s learning stood out as a core experience in her program. Claire, who has a background in computer science, graduated from the Master of Management and Professional Accounting (MMPA) program, which engages students through a combination of theoretical knowledge, paid co-op placements, and opportunities for research. In addition to this, the MMPA program expedites the path to becoming a CPA and exposes students to emerging methods and technologies that continue to dominate modern accounting; these include machine learning, Artificial Intelligence (AI), data analytics, and more. Claire reflects on her IMI experience by noting that her lack of an academic background in accounting did not hold her back. Instead, the MMPA program provided many opportunities outside the classroom to advance and exercise Claire’s accounting skills, which, combined with her supportive professors and peers, bolstered Claire professional goals and confidence.

Claire says that “MMPA provided students [with] the leadership skills and integrated accounting learning system which empowered me to explore the accounting and business world.” IMI welcomes students from all academic backgrounds, with the firm belief that each student has something special to offer to their peers, educators, and the program itself. 

Farhana Cheema, a graduate from the Master of Management of Innovation Program, shared that “MMI has been extremely valuable in propelling my career forward post-graduation”. While engaging in her graduate studies in MMI, Farhana also took on a significant leadership role in representing MMI on the IMI Student Council (IMISC), and her efforts contributed to some of the best-attended, most engaging graduate student connection events in IMISC’s history.  “I always said yes to opportunities that were presented to me”, she says.

The MMI program is a one-year graduate degree focused on the management of the innovation process and the diffusion of new technologies.  Students with undergraduates from technical or science backgrounds engage in curriculum rooted in economic analysis, technology management, business strategy, finance and marketing, emerging with the powerful combination of knowledge, skills and strategic perspectives needed for senior leaders and managers in advancing the innovation process.  “The strong emphasis on group endeavors, presentations and overall collaboration with my peers honed my skills in clear communication, effective task delegation, and leadership”, says Farhana.  “My time in MMI was marked by a proactive approach to my personal and professional development”, she notes, referencing MMI’s dedicated focus on individual career and academic support.  Farhana’s future is bright; she’s already launched her post-graduate career as an Associate Project Manager at Maven.  About her career and further goals, Farhana says “looking ahead, my future aspirations are centred on engaging in high-caliber projects and advancing towards a managerial position. Beyond my own professional growth, I hope to develop myself into a role model and mentor, dedicated to offering guidance and encouragement to others in the same way that my own support network has positively influenced me!”

Laura, Farhana and Claire hope that future IMI students will take advantage of their programs’ valuable networking opportunities and view their educational journeys as a gateway to life-long learning. Here at IMI, we are excited to see how these three brilliant graduates, and all the other phenomenal IMI alumni of 2023, are going to become trailblazers of innovation!