Business students excel at JDC West

Gustavson School of Business BCom students climbed to new heights at the recent JDC West Business Competition, one of the premier competitions for universities in Western Canada.

For the first time since entering the competition in 2006, students medaled in four events, placing first in the accounting and not-for-profit cases and second in the entrepreneurship case. They also took third place in the social challenges section—a grueling, on-call competition requiring completion of eight athletic and other challenges within 48 hours. Another honour was earned by the sports team, who were voted the most sportsman-like by the competitors.

“We go up against much larger schools, so our students must play to their strengths,” says Dr. Dale Ganley, coach and assistant professor at the Gustavson School of Business. “Our students demonstrated leadership, adaptability and passion, which is the focus of our programs, and that’s what put them on the podium.” J

DC West is the largest student-run business competition in the West and was held in Saskatoon earlier this month.

“We’re thrilled with our performance,” says Sam So, fourth-year business student and JDC West Captain for UVic, who organized the 44 students who attended the competition earlier this month. “We changed our strategy this year and engaged students who had been away on exchange in workshops and intensive practice sessions the week before competition—it really paid off.”

In the photo: Members of UVic’s JDC West team: (on ladder, top) Derek Juno; (middle, L-R) Nadia Aziz, Samantha So; (on ground, L-R) Ryan Hulstein, Chase Teron, Ross McPhail, Jessica Daser, Dana Stephenson.