Triumph through perseverance with JDC West
A recap of the team’s performance in January with summaries of some team members’ takeaways
“Never celebrate something you didn’t accomplish” said Randy Linton, Faculty Advisor of JDC West – University of Regina team. The team certainly lived up to their advisor and had plenty to celebrate after securing second place at the JDC West competition held at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon this past January.
The Hill School of Business had a team of 56 participants experienced in different fields like accounting, not-for-profit, charity, finance, entrepreneurship, human resources, marketing, international business, business tech management, business strategy, debate, sports, and challenge.
Competing among 12 universities in Western Canada, Hill JDC West surely left its mark by securing first in not-for-profit and finance, second in charity, entrepreneurship, and accounting, and third in human resources, charity dollars raised, and participation. Co-Captains Kyle Bye and Logan Lindskog managed and helped all the participants navigate their roles and responsibilities for the competition, which acted as a guiding reference for all the executives as well.
JDC West’s theme for 2023 – Triumph Through Perseverance – was uplifted by Hill JDC West as the participants worked extremely hard and through resilience and determination made the most out of this opportunity. In a conversation with Linton, the emphasis on collaborative effort was heavily made. Encouraging everyone in the business school to apply, he believes that there is a large scope of growth in this space with the level of difficulty increasing every year.
“Didn’t feel like work, but more like a spare time,” said Nicole Pyne, Hill JDC West alumna. Pyne also mentioned how the deliberate practice of making quick decisions on the spot helped her realize the impacts as a past participant can be really tangible. Making great connections, learning soft skills, and adapting a good practice of acceptance is what she took away from this opportunity. She mentioned the importance of becoming involved with something one is passionate about, and impacting the community through the results.
Majoring in International Business, Vansh Patel started out his JDC West journey in international business and eventually changed to business tech management and operations. “It is more than just a competition; it’s my family.” Patel noted. Under the guidance of the coaches, executives, and Linton, Patel continued to master the art of solving complex cases which he will be able to bring into his professional approach.
Briar Mills has also had a great experience. Starting off in international business and then moving to sports, Mills wanted to challenge herself more so she moved to the academic team last year. She said part of this has taught her to be more confident and trust in a process. “It came naturally to me,” she noted after mentioning the process of solving cases and presenting slides to a group. She mentioned that an experience like this helps one in preparing for interviews and growing as a person. After building a safe circle she plans to reach out to for the rest of her life, Mills found her place in this program.
“You never know until you try something out,” said Logan Winnicki of the marketing team. She realized that her involvement and engagement was applicable to other classes where she was able to leverage the knowledge acquired and score better grades than she may have otherwise. The collaborative and friendly environment gave Winnicki a platform to network and build relationships that were both personal and professional.
Another newbie, Autumn Chomos, brought her competitive spirit to the team and found JDC West a great way to “expand [her] network.” Chomos leveraged her skills of presentation, public speaking, and finding creative solutions. A great addition to the team, Chomos sparkled with her positive and competitive energy.
A great team is baseless without good leadership. Co-captain Bye lived up to his title and worked hard in giving the participants access to resources. Bye mentioned how the JDC West journey went from just boosting his resume to him giving back to the team alongside co-captain Lindskog. Bye noted he lives by the motto of being fair and ensuring others grow, giving them opportunities to succeed. Hill JDC West has impacted many people, and will continue to do so because a space for learning and growing is what it offers.
