JMSB students win prestigious award
A group of undergraduate students from Concordia’s John Molson School of Business (JMSB) won the prestigious 2012 Forces AVENIR Projet universitaire par excellence award, in the Business and Economy category, for a program they developed that provides support to entrepreneurs in the Greater Montreal Area.
The announcement was made on October 2 at a gala, held at the Théâtre capitole de Québec in Quebec City.
Forces AVENIR’s annual province-wide competition was established to promote and recognize student engagement. The winning projects are selected by an independent jury and are based on how well they demonstrate the students’ commitment to community involvement.
Finance student and team spokeswoman Julie Marin says the group’s program, Business Building Blocks, served the dual purpose of providing local entrepreneurs with the tools they need to ensure the viability of their businesses, while at the same time, affording students the opportunity to hone their business consulting skills. “So far, the program has provided assistance to 32 entrepreneurs who launched their own businesses,” she said. “It called on the talents of more than 800 Concordia University students who will be able to add this experience to their professional portfolio.”
“This award recognizes that our students get involved in fascinating initiatives beyond the classroom,” said JMSB Dean Steve Harvey. “It is particularly heartening to see how many of these extra-curricular activities are focused on serving the community. This is very much in keeping with JMSB’s mission to educate students to become business leaders who are responsible global citizens.”
JMSB Associate Dean, Academic and Student Affairs, George Kanaan was equally thrilled with the team’s performance. "The recognition that this group of students has received is a clear indication of the excellent quality of their work, their perseverance and their willingness to invest their time and efforts into developing their program for the benefit of both students and entrepreneurs."
The winning team
Current students: Julie Marin, Scott Carr, Claudia Bertuccini, Nickolas Lepine, William Atsaidis, Maya Chopova, Macey Dames, Jeremy Kovac, Nancy Peng, Katerina Fragos.
Alumni team members: Gabriel Obadia, Philip Barrar, Andrea Roncal, Allysha Carr, Adam Haroun, Karin McCullock, Jonathan O’Connell, Antoine Nguyen
Faculty advisor: Ronald J. Abraira
Related links:
• Forces AVENIR
• John Molson School of Business