Meet DeGroote School of Business Valedictorian Avneet Kaur Bhasin

DeGroote School of Business valedictorian Avneet Kaur Bhasin graduates June 14 with a Master of Business Administration (MBA).  

We asked the McMaster graduate a few questions to get to know her ahead of her valedictory address. 

How has McMaster shaped the person you are today? 

The community at McMaster remains unmatched; it is full of ambitious, intelligent, and kind-hearted individuals without whom I would not be where I am today. Whether it was the passionate faculty members who guided my education and professional development or my amiable peers who provided continuous encouragement along our collective journey through the program, the people of McMaster helped me transform into a confident person. It’s the lessons that I learned through these relationships that will continue to positively shape my future. 

Tell us about a favourite memory during your time at McMaster.  

My favourite memory actually involves one of our in-class case competitions for D700 – Case Analysis taught by Dr. Milena Head. We were given a case on Friday morning and allowed 24 hours to prepare our analysis and presentations for the next day. Most of our classmates spent the night at the Ron Joyce Center, locking ourselves away in collaboration rooms to brainstorm and create slide decks with our teams. My teammates Xavier Thomas, Narges Karami, Bilal Mohamed, and I (BANX Consulting) enjoyed every minute of this unique, stressful experience and managed to pull together a presentation that won us the D700 cup. Even though we were only running on about an hour of sleep, we had so much fun coming up with creative ideas and pulling the final all-nighter of our MBA journeys. I may never have the chance to spend the night at school with my peers again, so this is a memory that sticks out for sure! 

What’s a great piece of advice you’ve been given that you think other students could benefit from?  

Build a strong network! While your MBA or post-secondary education may be about achieving academic excellence, it’s also about developing strong connections and relationships with the people around you. The people we meet during time may one day circle back in our futures as professionals, so it’s important to network and collaborate along the way. Not only does this make your journey more enjoyable, but you might just leave with new lifelong friendships which will continue to enrich your lives beyond the program. Have fun with everyone you meet along the way! 

What do you plan to do/see yourself doing in the future?  

My passion for impacting patients across the healthcare landscape has led to me to gain experience in the pharmaceutical, medical device, and diagnostics industries. I feel very fulfilled supporting innovative projects that I know will ultimately improve the quality of lives of Canadians, improve the efficiency of our healthcare system, and provide solutions to all partners along a patient’s healthcare journey. I would love to continue working in marketing and project management roles in this space to launch new products in the Canadian market and manage projects in the emerging rare disease space! 

How do you think it is going to feel crossing the convocation stage?  

I imagine it will be pretty nerve-wracking and my thoughts will be focused on not falling off the stage… however, I also think it will be a monumental occasion that will finally mark the end of my academic journey with McMaster and the start of my new professional adventures as a business professional. It will be a bittersweet moment, but one I am happy to share with all my friends and family. 

Click here for stories, videos and highlights from Spring 2024 convocation ceremonies and celebration events.