This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend the National Business School Conference (NBSC) in Winnipeg, Manitoba alongside my colleague Joel Thom as representatives of the SFU JDC West team. NBSC is known to be one of the most prestigious undergraduate conferences for business students in Canada, with over 120 delegates in attendance. At this conference, the business student associations from numerous schools attend to participate in leadership sessions, and share knowledge to help strengthen these student societies. JDC West captains are also in attendance, but mainly focus on discussing any details, or last minute issues that need to be brought up before the competition in January.
This is the 4th conference I have attended on behalf of the SFU JDC West team. All 20 captains from participating schools in JDC West attend these conferences. These conferences have helped Joel and I continually improve our team based on the new knowledge that is presented to us. Moreover, it has provided us with the platform to communicate with other captains and discuss any ideas we may have in improving certain aspects of the competition, in turn providing the most valuable experiences for our individual teams. However, the most valuable thing I have gained from these conferences is the relationships I have built with my competition. Despite the rivalries and the passion and drive we all have in winning the title of School of the Year, I can honestly say that I can call all of the other captains life-long friends, and people who I plan to stay connected with long after the competition ends. This may be hard to believe, but it is the common goals we have of striving to be the best, and creating a valuable experience for our teams that have fostered the growth of these relationships.