蘑菇AV

Above: Brooklyn Malone (right) with Faculty of Management dean Mike Smit (centre) and BMgmt program director Paulette Skerrett.

聽鈥淚 really owe this聽accomplishment to her.鈥�

It鈥檚聽hard to get聽Brooklyn Malone (BSc(Rec)/BMgmt鈥�26)聽to聽take credit for anything, despite聽a long list聽of achievements over the past five years.聽She prefers聽to聽frame her聽accomplishments聽another way鈥攁s聽opportunities聽offered to聽her from聽others.聽

Gratitude is so central to her core聽that聽Malone has spent months trying聽find a way to honour her聽mother, who she believes聽deserves聽to share聽the聽accomplishment of聽the聽degrees聽(there are two)聽she鈥檚聽receiving聽this聽June.聽鈥淚t's聽just been me and my mom my whole life and she worked hard to make sure that I had the opportunity to come to 蘑菇AV. I feel like I really owe a lot of that accomplishment to her.鈥澛犅�

Which is why on Mother鈥檚 Day, Malone sent her mom a card, asking to cross the stage with her聽at convocation.

The business of people

Malone,聽who聽grew up in聽Thunder Bay, Ontario聽(population聽~100,000),聽came聽to the Faculty of Management at the age of 17聽to study in the Bachelor of Management (BMgmt) program. She wanted to be聽on the East Coast,聽in a place that celebrated聽community聽and that聽wasn鈥檛聽a聽densely populated city, like Toronto. She聽was聽also聽looking for a way to build on the leadership skills she developed in聽high聽school. President of her student council and valedictorian for her graduating class, she was interested in聽鈥渢he business of people.鈥澛�

Malone聽says聽none of the universities and programs felt quite聽right until,聽鈥淚 came across Dal,聽who had聽a program that was specifically for management,聽which I thought was unique and exciting.鈥澛�

Above: with BMgmt students at the DMS awards

Management society: a formative experience

The聽BMgmt聽is for students who want to learn the fundamentals of business and management, but who also want to explore聽and try other courses. Malone聽used聽her electives to study guitar and theatre聽while joining聽the 蘑菇AV聽Management Society聽(DMS), where she聽first took聽on聽the role聽of聽Vice President聽of聽Events.

She enjoyed that so much, she was elected聽President聽in her final year,聽during which聽DMS聽raised thousands of dollars for charity, while offering case competitions,聽socials聽and networking nights.聽Her聽society work,聽she says,聽was聽鈥渇ormative鈥澛爐o her experience at 蘑菇AV.聽鈥淚 met so many great friends through聽DMS. It showed me my love for community,聽events,聽and bringing people together.鈥澛�

"Both faculties are聽so聽supportive of me"

Malone聽says her decision to pivot and take聽yet another聽opportunity聽鈥斅爐he opportunity聽of聽achieving聽two degrees聽in five years鈥斅爓as also inspired by her mom.聽Before she even arrived on campus, it was her mother聽who聽pointed聽out聽the Recreation Management program, which offered a聽BMgmt聽and a Bachelor of Science (BSc)聽in five years.聽She admits聽that聽at the time聽she聽didn鈥檛聽understand that聽the science part of the聽program聽wasn鈥檛聽necessarily chemistry and biology.聽Laughing,聽she聽describes rediscovering聽the聽Recreation聽Management program聽in second year,聽and聽realizing聽that 鈥渢he science聽courses聽were聽things like sociology, human growth and development,聽and聽leisure theory.鈥澛犅�

She聽can鈥檛聽believe her good fortune: 鈥淚 am so proud of聽both faculties聽that I belong to.聽They聽have been so聽supportive of me, offering me so many opportunities.鈥�

Next聽up:聽the聽Corporate Residency MBA

One of those opportunities was to play a pivotal role in the yearlong celebration (2024-2025) of the Bachelor of Management鈥檚 25th聽birthday.聽Hired by the聽Faculty of Management to organize聽events like trivia nights聽and scavenger hunts,聽she聽further聽honed her planning skills.聽Her other positions at Dal have been聽with聽student and聽conference聽services,聽and聽helping聽facilitate聽recruitment in both her faculties. The list聽keeps聽growing.聽聽

And so聽will聽the degrees.聽A week after graduation,聽Malone begins聽the Corporate Residency MBA program in the Faculty of Management,聽a move that her mom聽couldn鈥檛聽endorse more.

As Malone puts it, 鈥淪he鈥檚聽always said, education is so valuable. It will help you聽flourish for聽the rest of your life.鈥�