Fall convocation is a time to celebrate the achievements of our students, who will finally walk the stage to receive their hard-earned degrees.
Each year, there are hundreds of success stories within the walls of the Asper School of Business. Here are just a few of the stories of those graduating on October 21, 2025.
Jamie O’Neill completed her BComm (Hons.) degree in record time. Already equipped with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in psychology, she came to Asper in the Fall 2024 semester with a goal to become a post-secondary instructor. She wanted to expand the subjects she could teach.
Yes, you’re reading that right. While majoring in Marketing and Human Resource Management, and adding a minor in Labour Studies, O’Neill completed her BComm degree in a single year. All this while involving herself in the University of Manitoba Indigenous Commerce Students group, the Land and Water: Indigenous Land-Based Education Program, and attending many of Asper’s networking and extracurricular events.
Oh, yeah, and she runs her own business, Boligrafo Bonito, where she uses sustainably sourced wood to create handmade, beautiful and comfortable-to-use ballpoint pens. She also built a brand, and manages production and operations, for her family’s business, 15 Feathers.
It’s safe to say that O’Neill kept busy during her time at Asper. But, even with everything she had going on, you could almost always find her in the IBEP lounge hanging out with other students. She’s now a student of the MSc Management program, focusing on Organizational Behaviour.
“I am looking forward to completing my thesis and making my way onto the faculty at Asper so that I can help teach the next round of Bisons and keep giving back to this amazing community that welcomed me so completely,” she says.
To students, she offers the following advice: “You don’t have to go it alone. The best part about being at Asper was meeting other students, participating in events, and connecting with the staff and faculty. We’re all here waiting to cheer you on and we want to be able to help you succeed.”
Jamie O’Neill.
Launch into a thrilling career in the world of business, data analytics and big ideas with a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from the Asper School of Business.
It’s kind of an accident that Garrison Glatz ended up where he did.
As many do when they’re starting University, Glatz wasn’t too sure what he wanted to do, and picked a subject semi-randomly. He thought he might enjoy Business and figured it would open doors for him, so he tried it.
Turns out, he liked it, so he kept going. While he initially majored in Marketing, and planned on going into sales without a second thought, his path took an unexpected turn during an impromptu hallway conversation with the professor Howard Harmatz (Garrison describes him as “legendary”). During their conversation, Harmatz casually remarked that Glatz should go into finance. So he did.
“It ended up working out very well!” He says.
Glatz takes special pride in the case competitions that he participated in at Asper. In March 2025, Glatz and his teammates Evan Adair and Kayla Odidison finished first in the Scotiabank International Case Competition, a massive international win for Asper.
“Case competitions were the most impactful thing for me. I made some of my best friends, got better at working with others, and opened up my career opportunities,” he says.
He emphasizes the value of experiential learning; case competitions gave him a drive that he couldn’t have found in a classroom.
Glatz has already capitalized on the opportunities that opened up to him, and has started working in commercial banking at TD. But he acknowledges that work and material success aren’t everything. All the goals you aim for in school and in work, should be in service of something in your character that can’t be bought.
“Money and impressive job titles are nice to have, but they’re only a small part of what really makes someone impressive,” he says.
With his education at Asper behind him, Glatz no longer feels like he’s throwing darts at a dartboard, trying to find the right career or life path. He feels certain and excited about the path he’s chosen.
After moving to Canada, Sam Paknia wanted a program that not only deepened his technical skills but also connected him to the Canadian financial community. The Asper MFin was just right.
Paknia was heavily involved during his time at Asper, participating in case competitions, and becoming a voice for his peers as Vice President (MFin) with the Asper Profession Graduate Students Association, as well as a Senator with the University of Manitoba Iranian Students Association.
“The biggest lessons I’ve taken away are the importance of collaboration, communication, and community-building,” says Paknia. “Altogether, these experiences showed me that professional growth is as much about people as it is about technical knowledge.”
He plans to continue his professional journey in wealth management and investment analysis while pursuing CFA Level II.
For future Asper students, he recommends taking full advantage of the opportunities outside the classroom, and to know that what will stay with you the longest are connections.
“Asper is a place that rewards curiosity, collaboration, and community spirit.”
Learn more about the Asper Master of Finance (MFin), a CFA Institute University Affiliation Program, which prepares students to excel in pursuing the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Sam Paknia.
Shivam Patel was working in a family textile business in India, when he started to notice that their company was losing lots of money because of poor transportation planning and a lack of infrastructure. That was when he started to become curious about the supply chain.
When he came to Canada, he decided to take an Asper MSCM, starting in 2023, to learn more about global supply chain practices and understand how international markets work.
Patel admits that when he first arrived, he was very shy: “I was very introverted and couldn’t even speak confidently in front of two people,” he says.
However, when he pushed himself out of his comfort zone and participated in extracurriculars, he found his world opening up: “I learned how to communicate better, think under pressure, and present my ideas with confidence. Meeting successful professionals and CEOs also inspired me to dream bigger.”
His highlight reel includes a 3rd place finish at the 2024-2025 MBA games in BC, a co-op placement at NFI Parts, and even involvement in UM intramural volleyball and racquetball.
He feels lucky to have all of these opportunities, as well as to have the chance to make new friends along the way.
“What made this journey special were the people, the friends who became like family, the professors who guided me, and the mentors who supported me at every step,” says Patel.
“This is just the beginning, and I’m excited to see where the next chapter takes me.”
Prepare for supply chain leadership with the Master of Supply Chain Management and Logistics (MSCM) program, supported by Winnipeg’s industry expertise at Canada’s transportation hub.
Shivam Patel.
With more than 180 new graduates in the BComm degree and in Stu Clark Graduate School’s degree programs at Fall Convocation 2025, the Asper School of Business’ alumni community of 23,000 continues to grow. Stay connected as an alum no matter where your education and career take you.
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UM Bisons are at the centre of it all, making a difference here in Manitoba and around the world. 1395 degrees are being awarded at Fall Convocation, bringing the number of graduates in the class of 2025 to 5586. Many of these new alumni will stay in Manitoba, supplying high-demand skills to the labour market and contributing to UM’s $7.3 billion economic impact on our community.
It takes human-centered teaching, genuine care for students, and innovative assignments that encourage critical thinking.
An Asper School researcher examines trust in the early stages of entrepreneurship for a top academic business journal
Daniel Eng has done it all at Asper — from exchange, to case competitions — and he's still pining for the next adventure.
Asper School MBA students conduct a cost-benefit analysis weighing the impact of converting diesel school buses to electric
