Want to know more about a specific program, campus activity, or just get a sense of what it's like to be a Santamarian? We have a number of alumni who look forward to helping future SMUdents learn more about the Saint Mary's experience!
Learn about each Alumni Ambassador below.
Find out how you can become an Alumni Ambassador here.
BComm’16 CertHRM'16 Major: Entrepreneurship, Human Resource Management & Industrial RelationsYemenCampus Activities: Enactus, Commerce Society
Born in Yemen and raised in Halifax, Ali pursued other avenues of work before coming to Saint Mary's, including a career in networking systems and a stint as a yoga studio operator. But, when he joined the Sobey School of Business, it felt like a match made in heaven. “I have been welcomed with open arms and I see myself really striving and growing, not only on a professional level but on a personal level as well.”
It’s Saint Mary’s culture of giving back that has most resonated with Ali. He challenged himself to become as engaged as possible in both extracurricular activities and community involvement. In addition to his commitment to Enactus as the co-president, he also worked at the Sobey School of Business Development Centre, served on SMUSA’s Board of Directors, and acted as VP External for the Sobey School of Business Commerce Society.
Following his time in SMU he started an online web presence company called SiteClub.tech and worked as a Small Business Advisor with Scotiabank. His love for his birthplace, Yemen, and care to help others encouraged him to travel back and work on Solar Energy projects in providing access to electricity and solar farming. He is currently the VP and Director of special projects with www.cewye.com and started his own company www.aadyemen.com focusing on IT and Solar Energy. His Entrepreneurial mindset didn't just stop there, he worked on growing the family farm www.algermozi.com as nature is a big part of his life. He is also working with his family on starting a realestate company www.algermozirealestate.com and always looking for new opportunities to tackle!
“My experience at SMU has allowed me to drive change by giving back and helping others”
BComm’20 Major: ManagementHalifax, NSCampus Activities: Bangladeshi Student Society, Grad Class Society
BComm’11 General Business StudiesCalgary, ABCampus Activities: Teaching Assistant, Intramural Sports, Business Consultancy Program
Kevin is the Chief Investment Officer for Bluesky Equities, a single family office in Calgary. As leader of a small team investing in both private and public markets, his responsibilities are varied, encompassing tasks such as deal sourcing, researching & evaluating opportunities, due diligence, negotiating terms, and managing the entire investment portfolio.
While at Saint Mary’s University, Kevin was a TA for MGMT 1281 (Intro to Business Management) and MGMT 2383 (Micro Organizational Behavior), independently tutored students in Finance, Accounting and Statistics courses, participated in the Business Consultancy program through the SMU Business Development Centre, and played intramural volleyball and squash.
DipEng’16Summerside, PE
BA'09Major: Psychology (Honours), Minor: Religious StudiesToronto, ONCampus Activities: SMUSA, BoG, Academic Senate, Varsity Cross-Country, Intramural Volleyball, Grad Class Executive, Residence Assistant
BComm’02Major: Finance and AccountingCalgary, ABCampus Activities: Varsity Football
BComm’14 Major: Marketing and Finance, Minor: FrenchHalifax, NSCampus Activities: Dance Team, SAGA (Students Acting for Global Awareness), Commerce Society, Study Abroad
BSc'17Honours Psychology, Major: BiologyOttawa, ONCampus Activities: SMUSA (VP Academic Affairs), Shinerama, Peaceful Schools International, Medical Society, Teaching Assistant.
Blair was born and raised in the small town of Barrington Passage, Nova Scotia. She moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia to start at Saint Mary's University (SMU). Though at first, she was overwhelmed with adapting city living, Blair grew to be a student leader on campus. Later, she became involved with SMU’s Young Alumni Network and Alumni Council.
Blair moved to Ottawa to start a career with the Government of Canada. She currently works at the Public Health Agency of Canada as a Policy Analyst focused on establishing a three-digit number, 988, for people in Canada to access suicide prevention services.
BComm’16 Major: Marketing & Management, Minor: PsychologyHalifax, NS
Amanda grew up in Calgary, Alberta and moved out east to attend SMU's Sobey School of Business in 2011. She majored in Marketing and Management with a minor in Psychology and was the valedictorian at her convocation in January 2016. While on campus she was constantly involved in a philanthropic pursuit, mentoring a student or convincing others to become Huskies! After convocation, Amanda moved back to Calgary and landed her dream job in fundraising for the Canadian Cancer Society! In 2021, the ocean call had her moving back to Halifax mid-way through the pandemic allowing her to become more involved in Alumni events and join the Alumni Council. Amanda is currently the Manager of Engagement at the Creative Destruction Lab - Atlantic, where she is responsible for recruiting successful Entrepreneurs as mentors for budding start-ups in the Tech and Oceans sector!
MBA’15San Francisco, CA, USACampus Activities: Men's Soccer
Originally from Halifax, Josh graduated from the Sobey School of Business with an MBA in the Spring of 2015. While attending SMU he was heavily involved in varsity athletics as a member of the Men's Soccer team, while also focusing his studies on management, technology, and entrepreneurship. After graduating from SMU, Josh joined an early stage start-up, Pressly, in Toronto, which was subsequently acquired by Vision Critical in the summer of 2017. Josh currently works as the Head of Special Projects at Grammarly, an AI-powered communications assistant with over 15M users on a daily basis and $110M USD backing from top-tier investors such as General Catalyst, Spark Capital, Breyer Capital, IVP, and SignalFire. Josh also holds a BBA concentrated in Finance from St. Francis Xavier University, and resides in San Francisco, California.
BComm’12Major: General Business StudiesVancouver, BC
Joined St. Mary’s in 2009 to take the BComm program and worked as a teller throughout my undergrad. Upon graduating in 2012 I started in commercial banking, which took me back to Newfoundland. I worked there as a Commercial Account manager for two years until getting married in 2015 and moving to Vancouver, BC to work as a Commercial Analyst. Most recently (Jan 2018) I’ve joined RBC’s National Sales Group, Automotive Finance Division as a Commercial Account Manager. Dealing with franchise dealerships, rental companies and other automotive industries.
BA'17Double Major (Honours): Criminology, Sociology Halifax, NSCampus Activities: SMU Food Bank, Student Ambassador, Teaching Assistant & Tutor
Originally from rural Nova Scotia, Kala started at SMU in 2013. She worked in a variety of campus settings including the Centre for New Students as a Student Ambassador, Financial Aid as a Coordinator, the SMU Community Food Bank as a Coordinator, and in the Criminology department as a teaching assistant and tutor. She enjoyed catching SMU hockey games and using the fitness centre for spin, yoga, and pilates. She has remained involved with the SMU community through her philanthropic work in creating and fundraising for the Cayley Fox Memorial Award, which aims to support student well-being.
After graduating from SMU, she received her Bachelor of Social Work from STU and Master of Clinical Social Work from the University of Calgary. Kala currently works for NSH in Community Mental Health & Addiction as a Clinical Therapist. Kala also has her own private company, Kala Rafuse Counselling Services, where she offers individual counselling. Currently, Kala is also working towards a Master of Arts degree in criminology at Saint Mary’s.
BComm’14 CertHRM'14Annapolis Valley, NSCampus Activities: Enactus Saint Mary's, ICBC Case Competition, Residence Assistant, Co-Op Program Participant
Kyle is a Sr. Consultant, Talent Development with CIBC Private Wealth. He graduated from Saint Mary’s University in 2014 with a Bachelor of Commerce and a Certificate of Human Resource Management. During his time at Saint Mary’s, he was very involved on campus and highly recommends new students get involved as early as possible. His activities include: Enactus Saint Mary’s, ICBC Case Competition, Residence Assistant, and participant in the Co-op program. Kyle was born and raised in Cape Breton but now calls Halifax home. In his spare time Kyle enjoys traveling with friends, golfing, and curling.
MBA’16St. John's, NL
Mehrnaz was born and raised in Iran where she graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor’s degree is Civil Engineering. She moved to Canada in 2008 and relocated to Halifax in 2011. While working full time she enrolled in SMU part time MBA and graduated in spring of 2016. Mehrnaz enjoyed the close community at SMU and appreciates the ongoing professional support that SMU offers its student and alumni. “It feels like I never left the campus”.
She has over eighteen years of experience in various areas of the construction industry in Canada, Europe and the Middle East. Her experience covers areas such as structural engineering and design, concrete formwork design, technical sales, corporate training, and project management.
Mehrnaz is passionate about giving back to the community and does so through volunteering her time. She has been a volunteer with Calgary Public Library, CNIB, CBC, Feed Nova Scotia, and WISE NL.
BComm’19 Major: Finance, Minor: Political ScienceHalifax, NSCampus Activities: SMUSA VP Academic, Speak Up Society President, Habitat for Humanity, Model UN, Pack Leader
BComm’08Major: MarketingToronto, ON
John is a BComm '08 (marketing major) graduate of Saint Mary's University. After graduating in 2008, John moved to Sydney, Australia where he worked at Fuji Xerox in B2B marketing. In 2010, John relocated to Toronto, joining an e-commerce startup and later moving to advertising working for Publics Groupe and FCB Toronto. Most recently John was a product marketer for Shopify focusing on financial services and banking products.
BComm’14 CertHRM'14 Major: Management Certificate: Human Resources ManagementBlackstock, ON
Jocelyn attended Saint Mary’s University and graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor of Commerce and a Certificate of Human Resource Management. As a Native Haligonian, Jocelyn knows all the perks of living and attending school in Halifax, NS. Jocelyn is passionate about her career in Human Resources and is currently working as a Human Resources & Talent Officer for a post-secondary institution in Ontario. Jocelyn considers herself a "Husky for life" and is very enthusiastic to promote and share her experiences at SMU. In her spare time, Jocelyn enjoys spending time with her husband and fellow SMU Alumni Matthew, their dog, Brody and horse, Valour.
BA'19 BComm’19 Majors: Psychology and Marketing Halifax, NSCampus Activities: Enactus Saint Mary's, SMUSA, Student Services, Residence Services, Intramurals
BComm’16Major: MarketingHalifax, NSCampus Activities: Enactus (Accessability Mentor), SAGA (Students Acting for Global Awareness), Commerce Society, Research Assistant & Teaching Assistant in Marketing Department
Ying (Wendy) Wang, originally from Guangzhou, China, came to Halifax to pursue her studies at Saint Mary's University (SMU) as an international student in 2013. She graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Marketing in 2016 and was awarded as the Young Alumni of the Year in 2020. With over 10 years of work experience in the retail, food and beverage industries and post-secondary education sector, Wendy brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her current role as the Bachelor of Commerce Academic Advisor at SMU.
Wendy actively explores her love for cooking authentic Chinese food and immerses herself in various cultural events as volunteers, as she is passionate about gaining a deeper understanding of different perspectives and traditions from around the world. With her extensive background and dedication, Wendy is committed to empowering SMU students and alumni to foster a supportive environment and cultivate a thriving community.
BA’01Major: Asian StudiesKumamoto, Japan
Marc attained an MA TESOL and PhD at Kumamoto University where he also taught part-time. Along with teaching English communication in public and private schools from elementary to university-level, he has also published articles on teacher development and karate-do, given numerous presentations at international conferences and local cross-cultural exchange events.
While at SMU, Marc was a long-term scholarship exchange student through the ASN department, studying in Hokkaido for 1 academic year.
BA’94Major: GeographyCampus Activities: Geography SocietyBuckinghamshire, United Kingdom
Hailing from Halifax, Chris graduated from Saint Mary's in 1994 with a BA in Geography. While at SMU, Chris was involved with the Geography Society, competing in intramural activities and designing a t-shirt for the society. He went on to Dalhousie to complete a BEd in 1995. Chris moved to Japan in 1995 to teach ESL for 6 years, working for TOZA and ECC language schools. After 10 months in Auckland, he went on to teach in secondary school in the UK, where he completed his Overseas Teacher Training as an ICT/Computer Science teacher. He is currently the Head of Computer Science & IT at Berkhamsted Schools, in Hertfordshire, encouraging the next generation to become programmers.
Chris is also a freelance graphic designer, creating graphics and logos for Deepwell Hypnotherapy, The SuperFood Curry Company, A J Charlton Photography and JRL Consulting (a Halifax-based engineering consulting firm).
BComm’20Major: Finance and Marketing Halifax, NSCampus Activities: SMUSA Board of Directors, VP of SpeakUp, Enactus
Omar is currently a Manager of Customer Experience at TD Bank, where he leads a team of dedicated individuals. In this role, Omar has developed exceptional skills in maintaining optimal employee scheduling to meet customer demands, ensuring compliance requirements, and resolving operational issues to achieve operational excellence. Furthermore, Omar mentors his team in resolving customer complaints and providing personalized advice, while enabling the senior service team to act as a point of escalation for exceptional customer experiences. These experiences have strengthened his ability to effectively communicate, collaborate, and provide outstanding support.
During his time at Saint Mary's University, Omar served as a member of the Saint Mary's University Student Association board of directors, where he was elected with the highest number of votes. Omar also held the esteemed position of Chair of the Elections Committee. These experiences provided Omar with a comprehensive understanding of governance, strategic planning, and decision-making processes. As a testament to his dedication and contribution, Omar was honored to be awarded The Bryan J. Rice Award for Excellence in Student Governance.
BSc'23Major: Chemistry (Honours) Minor: FrenchHalifax, NSCampus Activities: French Society, Chemistry Society, Pack Leader
Sumayyah was born and raised in Mauritius, a small island in the Indian Ocean known for its scenic beaches and tropical climate. Her journey to Saint Mary’s University began just after high school when she met both a recruiter and a SMU Professor who were hosting an information session about SMU in Mauritius. With her introduction to Saint Mary’s made, her desire to study abroad only grew stronger and she chose pursue Chemistry at SMU. It was not long before she was creating an impact on campus. Sumayyah co-founded the Saint Mary’s French society, taking on the role of co-president with a friend. They planned game nights, movie nights and get-togethers with their French-speaking peers over the span of two years. She then move on to be the co-president of the Saint Mary’s Chemistry Society where she planned various events including seminars with speakers coming from both industry and academia. During her time at SMU, Sumayyah had also been a pack-leader and worked as a student circulation desk assistant at the Patrick Power Library.
Sumayyah just obtained her Bachelor of Science degree, Honors Chemistry and a minor in French. She recently joined the Master of Science in Applied Science, also at SMU, under the supervision of Dr Christa Brosseau and in collaboration with Myomar Molecular Inc.
BComm'23Major: Global Business ManagementHalifax, NSCampus Activities: SMU Tennis, SMU Debate, Enactus, Commerce Society, SMU Model UN, SMU East Coast Model UN, RSO, Pack Leader
Manav grew up in a highly cultural country India. While setting foot outside his country as an only child he became independent in many ways. Once in SMU, Manav took every opportunity to grow and become a better version of himself. He started off with joining the SMU Tennis Team and reached the Canadian University Nationals before hanging up the racket. He then proceeded to become the Marketing Director of Enactus as his first big role in a society. After that he joined the Commerce Society and went on to become the Co-President of it in his final year. He also participated in the National Model UN Conference that takes place in New York City once a year. He participated there twice during his time at SMU and was the Head Delegate in his second time there. Before ending his university journey, he hosted the first ever Model UN Conference at SMU which was named "SMU East Coast Model UN Conference" where more than 30 students participated.
He has enjoyed and developed himself a lot during his time at the university and looks forward to serving as an alumnus.
MFin'22Halifax, NSCampus Activities: Saint Mary’s Investment Society (SMIS), Toastmasters club, Graduate Advisory Committee
Souvik completed a Master of Finance degree in fall 2022 from Saint Mary’s University. He is currently working with a global asset management organization. Prior to attending Saint Mary’s, he worked with top global Investment banks for a decade in Global Derivative Trade Confirmations and Control Support functions of Investment Banking Operations and Global Markets. He was born in East India, studied and worked in West and North India.
Souvik was actively involved in campus activities during his studies. He was the President of SMIS, VP PR Toastmasters, and Co-chair for Graduate Advisory committee. He was closely associated with MFin office, Faculties, Graduate Career Services, Writing Centre and received assistance. He also represented SMU in CFA Atlantic Societies Ethics Challenge and in 2023 he volunteered for the event.
Souvik actively participates in alumni events and was also a teaching assistant for MFin’s Financial Management and Corporate Finance courses. He is still closely attached with the SMU community, plays squash at homburg center, volunteers for Toastmasters Club, empowers, and guides upcoming and existing students.
BA'24Major: Intercultural Studies and French Minor: Asian StudiesHalifax, NSCampus Activities: SAGA (Students Acting for Global Awareness) Volunteer/Coordinator, GSO (Global Skills Opportunity) Ambassador, International Program Assistant, International Student Engagement Advisor, Welcome Weeks Leader, Street Team
From Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, Maddie was drawn to Saint Mary’s University in 2019 for its newly launched Intercultural Studies program. During her time at SMU, she discovered a deep passion for global engagement and student support. Maddie first became involved with the Students Acting for Global Awareness (SAGA) team, where she volunteered and later served as SAGA Coordinator and International Student Engagement Advisor.
Throughout her academic journey, Maddie was committed to helping international students feel welcome and supported. One of her proudest achievements was coordinating International Night event in 2023. Her leadership extended to the Global Learning & Intercultural Support Office, where she held roles such as International Program Assistant and Global Skills Opportunity Ambassador.
Maddie’s dedication to her community was recognized in her final year when she received the Student Leadership Recognition Award. She was also honored to deliver the Valedictory address at her convocation ceremony. Maddie is deeply grateful for the mentorship and professional opportunities she received through the Intercultural Studies, French, and Asian Studies departments, as well as the International Centre and Global Learning Office.