Support at every turn
Recipient of Alumni Association scholarship finds welcoming UM community
In describing his own personal achievements, Martín Glikman is quick to acknowledge the support of others: his parents for encouraging him to follow his passions, his friends for keeping him grounded, his high school teachers for preparing him for post-secondary. Now, the Asper School of Business student proudly includes UM’s Alumni Association among his circle of influential supporters.
Glikman is the recent recipient of the Alumni Association’s Entrance Scholarship, awarded to full-time students beginning their first year of studies.
Before graduating from Gray Academy, where he was Student Council President and junior basketball coach, Glikman wrote for a sports blog while he considered a career in journalism. Then a chance encounter with economics changed his mind.
“I took a statistics class in grade 12 with my all-time favourite teacher and that pointed me in the direction of business,” Glikman explains. “Going to Asper was kind of like a no-brainer, really. It just seemed like the best option.”
Since arriving at UM, Glikman has thrived in the close-knit Asper community.
“There are a lot of classes that are discussion-based, and I feel like the professors really want you to do well. They encourage you to discuss and make connections in the classroom. There’s kind of a sense of community, and I never find myself asking ‘is there someone I can ask?’ It’s instead, ‘who should I ask?’”
He has also continued to find support from the alumni community by reaching out to past Asper grads for advice on classes, coursework and getting involved with student groups.
Financially, the Alumni Association scholarship has impacted him in more ways than initially expected. When he applied, the world wasn’t in lockdown and facing an economic crisis that has hit the student workforce particularly hard.
“I don’t stress as much about paying my tuition or seeing the price of a $200 textbook that I have to buy, especially in times like these where the future is just so unknown. Looking more into the future there’s an added sense of relief.”
Now starting his second-year, Glikman is looking forward to taking some specialization courses that will help him choose his major.
He has considered becoming an accountant, like his father, but a career in sports management also intrigues him as a way to follow his passion for basketball. “I just want to be doing something that I’m happy with.”
His advice for other students on applying for the Alumni Association scholarship is to take the chance. “You miss 100 per cent of the shots you don’t take. I know that’s pretty stereotypical sports encouragement but you’ve got to put yourself out there to see what’s there.”
Applications for Alumni Association scholarships are now open. The deadline to apply is Nov. 13, 2020. For more information, visit: https://news.umanitoba.ca/alumni/alumni-association/scholarships/