Business Case Competition helps pave career pathway

It was a chance encounter at a Greenwood Business Case Competition that helped land Curtis Li where he is today – enrolled in a sought-after undergraduate program, exploring options for a career in finance, and competing on his university’s Business Case team.

“After the Greenwood competition, I approached one of the parent judges and asked if I could ask a few questions,” Curtis recalls. “He was very generous with his time, shared a lot about the finance industry, and recommended I look into the Ivey Business School as a step after high school.”

Greenwood’s Business Case Competition is a twice-a-year tradition that sees students team up to tackle real-life business issues and present solutions to a panel of judges – a mix of staff, alumni and parents or friends of Greenwood who work in industries like finance, marketing or entrepreneurship.

“It’s a strong extracurricular activity that develops real skills through practice,” Curtis says. “It’s something I kept up when I got to Western, and I had a leg up on the competition who didn’t have these types of things at their high schools. Not only that, it connected us to people who work in areas we were interested in.”

At Greenwood, extracurricular activities are seen as a vital part of the academic and social experience, Curtis says. 

“We are encouraged to challenge ourselves and explore new ways of learning and topics that interest us, in and out of the classroom,” he said. “It’s something that set me up well for university.”

The Greenwood community also continued to support him as he entered his postsecondary years. 

“There were quite a few Greenwood students who also attended Western, in my year and other years,” Curtis said. “It’s funny – my friends and I say it’s easy to guess who was a Greenwood student when you meet people here. They are the kindest and most warm-hearted people.”

From alumni meets-up on university campuses to connecting with upper year students as a mentor or returning to Greenwood as a case competition judge, Curtis says there are ample opportunities to stay connected to Greenwood. 

“There’s a real camaraderie that starts on Outdoor Education and continues throughout your time at Greenwood and then it continues far beyond that,” he says. “At Greenwood, there’s a place for everyone to grow and shape themself within the really accepting community. And the strength of that community continues long after you graduate.”