Haskayne grad earns a perfect 4.0 in classes and student experience

When Josie Ryan crosses the stage at convocation on Friday, she rounds off a remarkable student career where she maintained a 4.0 GPA, completed a semester abroad and won a Haskayne School of Business Gold Medal Award.

But before the business student got to university, she had every intention of studying a different field altogether: law. It was a BComm seminar at the Haskayne School of Business that helped her change her mind when she realized that the program would give her a solid foundation of knowledge and the opportunity to pursue law later on.

“The information session really resonated with me,” says Ryan. “The program seemed interesting and something that would teach me the valuable skills needed for career success. It was very appealing to me.”

Ryan, an accounting major, was a member of the Haskayne teams that competed in the JDC West and ICBC competitions and was a member of the Haskayne Commerce Undergraduate Society.

“I am very proud of my 4.0 GPA. Excelling academically has always been a priority for me, but I also knew that I had to make the most out of my student experience,” she says.

Ryan is also the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships during her time at Haskayne including the Haskayne School of Business Silver Medallion in Accounting.

Ryan has a passion for travel and completed a semester abroad in Prague, and plans to take a three-month trip to Australia and Asia this summer. She loves to stay fit and was a competitive hockey player for eight years before focusing on her studies.

“While studying in Prague, I gained an enhanced appreciation for cultural diversity as it relates to academia. I met people from around the world and learned so much as a result. I believe that my degree was greatly enriched by my experiences abroad,” she says.

In the fall, Josie will be working full-time at Ernst & Young and is very excited for what her future holds. She will pursue a CPA designation and complete a Master of Professional Accounting at the University of Saskatchewan next summer.

Moving on to the next chapter of her life, Josie will always look back on her time at Haskayne fondly.

“I had a very positive student experience. The aspect that I loved most about Haskayne was the ability to get involved in a lot of different areas.”