DeGroote student combines interests with an MBA

Victoria Coates | Hamilton, ON | September 1, 2011

It's time to head back to school again. For Andrew Tarasiewicz, a student in the full-time MBA program at the DeGroote School of Business, it will be his final year of school.

Tarasiewicz completed his undergraduate degree in the process automation stream of the bachelor of technology program through a partnership with McMaster University and Mohawk College. The program incorporates theoretical knowledge from McMaster and hands on experience from Mohawk, as well as twelve months of Co-op experience. It also has a management component, which for Tarasiewicz, sparked an interest in business.

"I started doing a lot of reading in my spare time, learning more about economics and finance. After exploring different options, I realized that there is a way to get to where I wanted to be, and an MBA is the way to get there," says Tarasiewicz. "I chose DeGroote because it is a well-balanced business school with a good reputation, which adds great value to the program."

Tarasiewicz is now a student of the full-time MBA program that combines practical and theoretical business education in a 20-month program. One year into the program at the Ron Joyce Centre (RJC), DeGroote's new Burlington campus, Tarasiewicz says he is having a great experience.

"I'm getting to explore the business field and I'm learning a lot of practical skills," says Tarasiewicz, who is majoring in finance. "It's also been nice to be in a great new building. It's such a positive atmosphere at the RJC and that really adds to the experience."

The program has allowed Tarasiewicz to combine his longstanding passion for technology with his newfound interest in business. He advises other students wanting to pursue an MBA not to be concerned if they have a background in a subject other than business.

"Don't let that worry get in the way of pursuing something that you are interested in. Many students come from different disciplines and an MBA can be a great way to broaden your knowledge base. It gives you a chance to combine your skill sets by applying what you learn in business to your previous studies."

This summer Tarasiewicz had an internship working with Pepsi Foods Canada in sales operation. He worked on a project implementing software to streamline performance at distributions centres across the country, and relied on skills he acquired from both the B.Tech program and the MBA program.

"This internship has been a great opportunity. I've been able to use my business knowledge for interpreting figures in cost analysis but I've also been able to leverage my technology background for programming," he says.

As Tarasiewicz finishes his internship and prepares to start back at school at the beginning of September, he is excited to be a student for one more year. "After working in the corporate world for the summer, I have a better sense of where I will be able to apply what I'm learning."

After graduation, Tarasiewicz is interested in working in an analyst position with an investment firm in the technology sector. He hopes his future career will allow him to combine his interest in technology with his interest in business.