JDC West 2014 has come and gone in the blink of an eye and I can truly say that it was the best three days of my entire life.
I first experienced JDC West in 2013 and I was instantly hooked. A year later, I returned to lead Team Beedie alongside my co-captain, Natalie Botteselle, for JDC West 2014 in Regina.
Looking back at our first team meeting, we were a group of strangers brought together by a common goal, to compete at JDC West. For half a year, our team trained with alumni and industry professionals, gaining experience that goes beyond the classroom. At the competition in January, we were united as one team, one family, with a burning passion to show everyone at JDC West what Beedie students are capable of. After training for over 3000 hours collectively, we brought home 3rd place for Academic School of the Year. It has been a whirlwind of emotions as a captain, the most powerful being passion and pride for Beedie and for my team. These students that I now call my family are some of the brightest at Beedie, and it has been an absolute privilege leading them to the competition.
We would not have gotten to where we are today without the support and hard work of the Beedie faculty and staff, our Head Coaches Sean Peters and Maney Grewal, our 40 alumni coaches, and everyone else who has helped our team succeed.
There is something very special about JDC West that brings people together, whether they are students, alumni, or faculty. The passion and spirit that is shown for JDC West is unlike any that I have ever seen before. Being a part of this organization has changed my life and has been the turning point of my entire undergraduate experience.
Simone is in the midst of her fourth year at the Beedie School of Business, concentrating in Operations Management and Human Resources. Her most notable experiences thus far include being a BASS FROSH Leader as well as participating in, and later Co-Captaining SFU JDC West. Simone’s involvement within Beedie has taught her much about herself and where her passions lie. She values the relationships she has made within the Beedie community and looks forward to her final year at SFU.