From a young age, Kayla Vargas, MBA ’26 candidate, knew she enjoyed business and wanted to pursue an MBA.
After completing her business undergraduate degree at Toronto Metropolitan University, and working for five years in IT consulting as a project manager, she applied to the Ivey Business School’s MBA program. “It just felt like the right next step for me,” she says.
Upon acceptance, she learned she’d also been selected as this year’s recipient of the Rosemary Schauf Pahl MBA Award. “I was really happy and overwhelmed,” she says, “and overall, grateful. Being recognized not just for my academic and professional background, but also my leadership potential, was really reaffirming. It gave me a sense of motivation to continue on my path.”
About the Rosemary Schauf Pahl MBA Award
Established in 2017, the Rosemary Schauf Pahl MBA Award is an admissions award given annually to a Canadian self-identified woman based on academic achievement, community leadership, and demonstrated financial need. Preference is given to a student with previous work experience, or who is admitted to the MBA program without an undergraduate degree.
“I wanted to address a gap in the awards program, where everything was based on undergraduate grades,” says Rosemary Pahl, MBA ’84, who herself was admitted to Ivey in 1982 without an undergraduate degree. For eight years prior, Pahl had worked as a registered nurse. She had no idea what an MBA even was, but when she learned of a special admissions program at Ivey that allowed applicants with no undergraduate degree to apply if they had eight years of work experience, community involvement, and passed their GMAT, she took the leap and applied.
“The MBA had a positive impact on my life in every way possible,” she says. After graduating on the Dean's Honour List in 1984, she accepted a healthcare consulting job in Edmonton and by 1991, she was the CEO of a hospital, the first of four CEO positions during her career.
Supporting women students as MBA program hits gender milestone
Pahl, who is now retired and active with a passion project, established the award because she was grateful for all the opportunities her MBA afforded her. Initially, the award was not gender specific. The main requirement was that the recipient be a Canadian citizen. “I was hopeful that would mean a higher chance of the recipients staying and applying their skills in Canada.”
The other important piece was that the award could capture applicants like her, who didn’t have an undergraduate degree. “I was focused on people who might make excellent MBA students and who would benefit from some financial assistance.”
But then Ivey asked her to consider designating the award to self-identifying women, in order to help increase the number of Canadian women MBA students. Although the School was seeing excellent applicants, it informed Pahl that many ended up not attending because at that time, employer sponsorships or assistance to complete an MBA were more likely to go to men than women.
“Ivey had a very good rationale,” she says. “They were actually losing Canadian women candidates because those candidates didn't have the financial resources.”
The Rosemary Schauf Pahl MBA Award is one of many women-specific awards established over the years that has played an important role in helping change that. This year, Ivey hit a powerful gender diversity milestone: for the first time in the School’s history, more than 40% of current MBA students self-identify as women.
“It's an honour to be part of such a cohort,” says Vargas. “It makes me really proud and hopeful that we are moving in the right direction toward having more women leaders.”
The impact of the Rosemary Schauf Pahl MBA Award
Initially, Vargas was considering applying for Ivey’s Accelerated MBA (AMBA) program. With the high cost of tuition, she thought it would be prudent to continue earning an income while obtaining her degree. After deciding that the full-time MBA aligned more with her goals, her choice was affirmed when she received this award and the Richard Ivey Excellence Award, which have enabled her to fully immerse herself in her academics and extracurriculars.
“Outside of the financial help, it’s also given me the confidence to know that someone else believed in my potential enough to invest in my journey,” she says. “It’s been a reminder and source of encouragement that I have a reason for being in the MBA program.”
Shortly after she received the award, Vargas received an email from Pahl letting her know that while the MBA program can feel very intense — “and it has been,” says Vargas — it’s also fleeting and transformative. “That perspective just motivated me to try and be as present as I can.”
A gratifying gift made sooner than later
Pahl says it’s been incredibly rewarding to hear from the different award recipients over the years. And she wants others who are considering establishing scholarships or awards to think about the benefits of being around to witness their impact.
“Although planned giving in your will is great and to be encouraged, if you can start earlier, even on a smaller scale, you will be around to experience the results, which is very rewarding,” she says.
“I started the scholarship with the intention of increasing the capital fund in the future, as part of my estate. I am very glad I didn’t wait, and that my gift has made a difference sooner.”
If you’re interested in creating a scholarship or award, please contact Nic Miller at nmiller@ivey.ca.