Success Story: Zamzam Ibrahim
Posted on Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011
Gold medals, internships, and multiple cash prizes: for Algonquin student Zamzam Ibrahim, the final year of a three-year program went by in a whirlwind of winning.
Ibrahim, who is studying business administration with a major in marketing, won two gold medals at the Ontario Colleges’ Marketing Competition in November, one in an individual division and one in a partnered division with classmate Lauren Newby.
Newby and Ibrahim went on to form a team with Shari Ortiz in February and participated in the Business Development Canada Case Challenge event, where they won third place.
Finally, Ibrahim once again captured gold independently when she participated in the National Capital Leadership Challenge in February, and won the first-place overall prize, surpassing competitors from University of Ottawa and Carleton University. 2011 was only the second year that Algonquin business students were invited to compete in the challenge.
It was while participating in the NCLC that Ibrahim began to feel less like a student and more like an individual in the business world. The Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, whose representatives were on the panel of judges for the competition, was legitimately interested in implementing the business plan that she had formulated.
Ibrahim will start a paid internship with Bridgewater Systems in May as a result of winning NCLC.
“[The competitions] have really opened up doors. If anything, do it for the network,” she says.
Ibrahim, whose ideal job would be brand manager for a company like L’oreal, says the large amount of teamwork she experienced at Algonquin taught her the key lessons that will help her on her career path.
“I’ve learned how to be a cooperative team member and work individually; I’ve learned how to lead a team and deal with diverse team members,” she says, “as well as time management.”
She says the people from Algonquin whom she will never forget are Noni Stukell and Bill Garbarino.
“[Stukell] saw my potential and pretty much forced me to discover this world of competitions that was lots of fun and really thrilling. She’s really a very supportive and nurturing person.
“Bill Garbarino is another absolutely committed individual who has opened so many doors for me. I’ve never seen such a committed coordinator in my life. He works night and day for his students. They really benefit from the work he puts in.”
According to Ibrahim, the applied work environment makes a business program at Algonquin a good career choice. “I have friends who have graduated from university who can’t do half of the things our first-year students can do here,” says Ibrahim.
“Employers need you to be able to do something, not necessarily read and analyze; they can do that.”
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