Mount Allison University Commerce students Giuliana Dibonaventura and Erik Oliver have both received a 2019 Frank H. Sobey Award for Excellence in Business Studies from the Sobey Foundation.

Valued at $25,000 each, the awards — eight in total — support the development of future business leaders and business programs in Atlantic Canadian Universities. This year marks the first year two Mount Allison students have received the award at the same time.

“We are thrilled to have two recipients of the Frank H. Sobey Awards at Mount Allison this year, one of the top student awards in our region,” says Sandy MacIver, director of the Ron Joyce Centre for Business Studies and interim dean of arts at Mount Allison. “Giuliana and Erik are both exemplary students and community leaders and I know they will be successful in their chosen career paths.”

From Moncton, NB, DiBonaventura is pursuing a degree in marketing and hopes to one day work in this area in her hometown. While at Mount Allison, she worked to re-brand and run a clothing business (Broken Bridge Brand) through Mount Allison’s Reisman Internship program and worked as an intern in the University’s Ron Joyce Centre for Business Studies. In 2018, she and a colleague won The Pitch, a Dragon’s Den style competition for students at Mount Allison.

“It felt surreal when I received the letter saying I had received the Sobey Award,” she says. “I am honoured to be a recipient. It is wonderful to receive this kind of recognition for my work in and outside the classroom.”

Following her graduation this spring, DiBonaventura plans to enter the workforce with a focus on marketing and social corporate responsibility.

Oliver is majoring in Commerce with minors in international politics and international economics and business. He hopes to work as a consultant, exploring the ‘scale up’ process with small businesses and their roles in the global business community.

While at Mount Allison, Oliver rebranded and cemented the mentorship program, Kids in Action, as a stand-alone Mount Allison club, which sees Mount Allison students volunteering in local elementary schools. Students are paired with mentors with a focus on physical activity and health. He also co-founded Club P, a night club that turns a social vice into a productive business, used to bring students to a local business and raise money for charitable causes.

From Peterborough, ON, Oliver, a rugby player, says he looks forward to entering the workforce and getting involved in his new community, wherever that may be, following graduation this spring.

“I came to Mount Allison not knowing anyone. Playing rugby gave me the opportunity to meet people and build friendships outside of my studies,” he says. “I’ve gained a lot of skills from these experiences, it’s been a big part of my Mount Allison career.”

More than $1.8 million has been awarded to business students in Atlantic Canada through the Frank H. Sobey Awards for Excellence in Business Studies since their establishment.

“Since 1989, the Frank H. Sobey Awards have been awarded to 181 emerging business leaders from Atlantic Canada. Every year, our Board is overwhelmed by the talent, leadership, and entrepreneurialism shining through students at Atlantic Canadian Business School. The talent that these young business minds bring to this region is inspiring to us all,” says Paul D. Sobey, chair of the Board of Directors for the Frank H. Sobey Awards for Excellence in Business Studies.