Asper BComm alum Tyler Roslinsky on four years of transformative business education

In a hotel room in Rotterdam, Tyler Roslinsky [BComm(Hons)/24] submits his final assignment of his capstone finance course. He closes his laptop to realize that he is done; he has finished his Asper Bachelor of Commerce degree, from about seven time zones away.

He describes his final term as an Asper student as fairly typical, relative to his first three and a half years, but with more intensity since he joined the case competition circuit. While he still took on five courses, two to three days of work and student-group involvement this term, he gave up a weekend job. “That opened up my weekends to participate in case competitions, so I could do those 24-hour and 12-hour practices and travel for the competition weekends.”

Roslinsky arrived in Rotterdam to compete alongside fellow Asper students in the RSM STAR Case Competition, which selects 16 teams from top business schools worldwide to present their solutions to real-life business cases. It was Roslinsky’s first overseas competition, and he learned a lot about the depth of analysis students can bring at a competition at this level.

He reflects on where he is now, compared to his first day at Asper, and sees how much has changed, and what is oddly the same four years later.

“Those four years, with all those unique experiences in and outside of the classroom, have really transformed and shaped the person I am today. I think the biggest change is that I’m much more outgoing and willing to try more things, like case this year,” he says.

When he thinks about how he got to this point—a prestigious international competition in the Netherlands and a subtle conclusion his BComm—he reflects on the small steps that led to more opportunities to get involved outside of the classroom and connect to the Asper community.

“I first got involved through Indigenous Business Education Partners (IBEP), and from there, I joined UM Indigenous Commerce Students (UMICS) and started attending more events and seeing more opportunities to get involved. When I joined case competitions in my final year, it felt like a progression of that early involvement.”

IBEP Director Riley Proulx [BComm(Hons)/19] describes how Roslinsky could often be found in the IBEP lounge, a space for First Nations, Métis and Inuit students pursuing their BComm or professional graduate degree at Asper to relax, study and build connections.

“For all the supports that IBEP offers, its greatest strength has always been its sense of community. As an active IBEP member, Tyler has spent a lot of time in our lounge, working on class projects, preparing for presentations and supporting fellow students by exchanging advice on classes, careers and life.”

Says Roslinsky, “I love the IBEP lounge, and it has been this amazing space for connecting with and meeting new people in a smaller, more intimate setting within the largeness of the university.”

The importance of a dedicated space to connect in person might resonate with many students in Roslinsky’s graduating class, as like many others, he began his university studies completely online.

“I started my degree during COVID (beginning in the fall of 2020), so I was learning remotely. When I submitted my final assignment here in the Netherlands, I realized that I started and ended my degree while not physically at Asper.”

Despite the challenges of remote learning early on, Roslinsky made the most of his Asper experience and feels that the degree has prepared him for the next chapter of his career. When he returns from Europe, he will put his finance major to good use, beginning a position at TD in commercial banking with a focus on agriculture.

As he anticipates bringing his sharpened skills and insights into the workforce, he reflects on what he’ll miss, and what he hopes to learn, as an alum.

“I’ll miss the people here at Asper and IBEP, and I’ll miss knowing that I can see them on a daily basis on campus in spaces like the IBEP lounge or the Drake Centre.

“However, it’s just one of those things that you have to work harder at and be intentional about making time and plans to see people and nurture those connections outside of school.”

As he considers what graduating means to him—the strange combination of a four-year effort and a recently-closed laptop—he sees the parts of Asper he will carry with him: the skillset, the learning, the network, the qualifications, but also something to miss, a community, a reason to reach out, stay connected and move into his next exciting role as one of Asper’s 22,000 and IBEP’s 200 alumni.

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At the Asper School of Business, Indigenous Business Education Partners (IBEP) offers a welcoming community as First Nations, Métis and Inuit students in pursuit of their Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) or Professional Graduate degree, including tutoring, access to bursaries & scholarships and networking opportunities. This May, 11 Asper graduates became IBEP alumni at the annual graduation ceremony. Check out photos of the 2024 IBEP Graduation Ceremony here. 

IBEP will celebrate 30 years of supporting students on Thursday, September 19, 2024.

Emily Wilson