IMBA Class of 2020 Gathers from Around the Globe for Celebration on Zoom
Although graduation events are postponed due to COVID-19, the 2020 IMBA class still found a way to come together to celebrate their accomplishments. More than 50 attendees, including students, their friends and family from around the globe, and Schulich faculty and IMBA staff, attended a virtual graduation celebration on May 15th, 2020.
Sasha Krstic (IMBA 2003), President of Mastercard Canada gave the keynote address. She shared five pieces of advice as the students re-enter the working world during a global pandemic: take principles, not models; be patient; take risks; trust your gut; and remember the power of thank you.
Instead of black caps and gowns, graduates wore black “IMBA Class of 2020” t-shirts. Each student had prepared a PowerPoint slide with a quote and images that highlighted their IMBA experience over the past two years. One by one, students shared these IMBA memories with classmates and invitees.
The recurring theme of almost all the student addresses was how their fellow students have become their most important friends, even family. Many students talked about how the community of fellow IMBAs had changed their lives and made them both personally and academically richer.
In closing, Dean Dezso Horvath acknowledged the accomplishments of the graduating class: “You will always remember this year, a year like no other in our lifetime. During your studies here, you excelled in case competitions, winning the Dean’s Cup and placing in the top 10 at the Harvard Global Case Competition. You were a great class, one of the most dynamic and engaged groups we have ever had at Schulich.”
The celebration finished with applause, virtual fireworks and many chat box messages sent by the class to each other and to Schulich faculty. As one graduate wrote, “Thank you everyone for bringing another special inspiring moment to our IMBA journey.”