Success Story

Flugtag Anyone?

The Algonquin Airborne Aces – Red Bull Flugtag Challenge

Algonquin Airborne Aces Logo

The School of Business’ very own Alex Mahon, a current Business – Management and Entrepreneurship student is serving as team leader for The Algonquin Airborne Aces, in this year’s Red Bull Flugtag Challenge.

Alex, along with his ace team members, Akil Alyacoubi, Vincenzo Marcantonio, and Kevin Randing, are facing the Flugtag with heads held high as it “challenges the brave and the brainy to design, build and pilot homemade flying machines, and launch themselves off a 22-foot high flight deck in hopes of soaring into the wild blue yonder…or more often than not, plunging into the waters below.”

The challenge takes place on Saturday, July 27 at the Canadian Museum of Civilization here in Ottawa. Teams will be judged based on three criteria:

  1. Flight distance
  2. Creativity of the craft
  3. Showmanship

The Aces researched the most effective glider designs for distance and concluded that the canard design would create the most lift with minimal acceleration and speed. Flight distance – check!

Flying Machine

Creativity of the craft – check!

The team has also chosen to deck their flying machine out in a camouflage design to showcase the College’s support for the Canadian Armed Forces. Team member Vinnie is a service member in the artillery. Showmanship – check!

“A couple of us came together and said it would be really awesome if as an entry from the College, we could participate in this competition. The majority of the team members are Mechanical Engineering students in the 3-year Mechanical Engineering program. They’ve got skill sets from welding to framing to design work and the amount of actual computer design work that has gone in to this aircraft is crazy,” said Mahon.

This is one of the many ways for the School of Business students to get out there and flex their entrepreneurial spirit, skills and passion. We wish the best of luck to the Algonquin Airborne Aces as they complete the build and count down the days to the event!

  1. Check out Part One: Mission Report >>
  2. Check out Part Two: Construction Report >>
  3. Check out Part Three: Meet the Team >>
  4. Check out Part Four: The Results >>

Do you think you have the courage to build a flying machine?

Success Story: Zamzam Ibrahim

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.”