BComm Spotlight

BComm student Habiba Mohamed saves everything.

“I enjoy collecting souvenirs as keepsakes from my international exchange experiences. Throughout my degree, I have completed two international exchanges, which have enriched my International Business major,” says Mohamed.

With each new country she visits, Mohamed keeps train tickets, postcards, and keychains. When she gets back home, she arranges them carefully into a single scrapbook page, a glimpse of another Asper adventure.

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When you think about your Asper journey so far, what are the experiences that stand out?

HM: “I was always involved in Student-Action Groups (STAGs) at Asper, which can be a lot of work but so rewarding.

“I gained so many skills in such a short period of time—whether they be organizational skills like event planning, or communication skills from speaking with different partners and industry leaders.

“One of the most involved initiatives I got involved in was in my fourth year, when I rejoined the Commerce Students’ Association (CSA) as one of The Commerce Week (TCW) co-chairs. This involved multiple events, so we had to get many different permits and coordinate a lot of stakeholder engagement. That was really influential in terms of the skills and core competencies that I gained from that.”

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During her time at Asper, Mohamed has been a part of the CSA as a member of the First Year Council and TCW, VP of Academic Programming for the Asper International Management Society, Director of Finance for the World University Service of Canada, and VP of Corporate Relations for the University of Manitoba Supply Chain Organization, where today she is Director of Finance.

With all that involvement and busy-ness of student life, are there moments that you are particularly proud of? What are some of the moments that would make the scrapbook page?

HM: “My co-chair and I introduced the food truck event to TCW, which had not been part of the orientation week in previous years. We specifically wanted to do something that was not alcohol-centered. We know that many students don’t drink, and we wanted to create an event that was enjoyable but also a bit more inclusive.

“If I really had to zoom out and think about a moment… it would probably be during Commerce on the Quad, the last event of the week—I think it was a Friday. It was just really nice to see new Asper students having fun and making friends. We had a beach theme, so people were throwing beachballs in the air and having a good time. It was cool to see all that work we had put in all summer materialize into an actual event.”

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For as many moments as Mohamed can recount, she thinks of the people who have influenced her journey.

She mentions recruiters—Verna Kroeker and Kyle Lougheed—who inspired her move from Vancouver to Winnipeg to join UM, professors—Kelsey Taylor—who sparked her interest in supply chain management as a major, and former managers—Mai Gagujas and Krista Olafsson—whom she meets with monthly for mentorship check-ins, as well as Amber Pohl, Lead of International Experiential Programs at Asper.

“All of these interactions and moments, events and opportunities, they all kind of contribute to the bigger picture and help you along the way,” says Mohamed.

“One conversation can lead to learning something that you didn’t even know was possible or an opportunity that can change your life.”

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Emily Wilson