“Your university experience is what you make it! I’m sure you’ve all heard it before. The amazing thing about that saying is that people often say it, and don’t act on it. But when you do make your university experience your own, amazing things start to take shape.
In my 5 years at Telfer, I have managed to do all there is to do. I took part in multiple case competitions such as Sympo GH, Jeux du Commerce Central and Happening Marketing (HM), and even managed to grab a few trophies. I have also been in VP positions for TCCT and TMA, and I am now the VP Marketing for the Canadian Association of Business Students (CABS). But the true reason behind my success is simple: someone believed in me. An upper‑year student gave me an opportunity and I ran with it. As a first year, it’s never easy to defy the odds and the negative perceptions. Needless to say, I did not let those perceptions weigh me down. That’s why today I am very passionate about helping our first‑year students to get involved and providing them with all the tools they need to succeed at Telfer. No matter what people’s conception of success is, success is not earned alone and it should definitely be shared.
One thing that’s sure: you will encounter failures on your path. The immediate reaction is to panic and give up, but you should embrace failures. After all, FAIL is the acronym for First Attempt In Learning. So don’t be afraid to fail.
Enjoy your journey!”
– Sarai Castrejon, 5th‑year Marketing student
Telfer Coordinator, HM
VP Marketing, CABS
Inspired by Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York, this weekly feature of the Telfer Career Blog will contain photography of individuals from the Telfer School of Management community and a corresponding narrative that gives us a glimpse into their lives.
