Two years is a long time. In two years, the average person will blink 12 million times, spend over $2000 on Amazon, and spend 140 days on their cell phone. You get it -- you can do a lot in two years. And yet, AEO students can sometimes take these first two years for granted, seeing them as merely a mandatory stop on the path to Ivey. Yet, someone who squeezed every ounce of value out of their first two years is Evelyn Tran: health science dual degree aspirant, healthcare consulting maestro, and current president of The Aleph Group – one of the largest consulting clubs on campus.
I first met Evelyn at The Aleph Group’s information session. As the President of the club, she delivered an enthusiastic overview of The Aleph Group’s methods and philosophies. My ears perked up when she mentioned she was completing a dual degree in Health Science, which I also plan to pursue. During the networking portion of the session, I introduced myself and was impressed by how approachable and helpful Evelyn was. Since that day, I've learned a great deal about Evelyn's journey and have come to consider her a mentor.
For most AEO applicants, Ivey is the crown jewel, and the first two years are a secondary thought. The opposite was true for Evelyn. Initially, she had her sights set solely on Health Sciences programs. That was, until her brother sat her down and recommended that she diversify her options. Ivey’s 2+2 structure was the perfect option, and she applied for AEO status to supplement her Health Sciences degree at Western. After receiving her offer, Evelyn didn’t hesitate to accept. She explained, “at that point I didn’t know exactly what career I wanted to pursue. If I really liked Health Sciences, then I could drop Ivey. I just thought it was super unique.”
At this point, Evelyn became curious about her eventual job prospects. She took to every 12th Grader’s informational goldmine: Reddit. She recalls “When I first got my acceptance into Ivey, I remember posting on Reddit asking, ‘What are your thoughts on a career in healthcare administration?’” Her interest was piqued when one comment told her to pursue healthcare consulting, and a preliminary Google search confirmed it. Evelyn realized her ultimate goal was healthcare consulting, although she was unsure how to achieve it. In fact, she admits to having had a limited understanding of what the job actually entailed.
That changed when she joined The Aleph Group in her second year as an analyst. The Aleph Group provided real-world consulting experience, dispelling some misconceptions about the field and reinforcing Evelyn's decision to pursue this career path. Since then, she advanced to become a Project Lead, Vice President of Recruitment, and ultimately President of the prestigious consulting club. The moral of the story is: if you have an interest, pursue it—you never know what opportunities might arise.
As for other extracurriculars, Evelyn’s involvement was admittedly sparse, especially in first year. She remembers that “First year was such a huge adjustment, I felt like I had no capacity to do clubs or case competitions. My biggest mistake was not prioritizing those more in first year”. Evelyn stresses that if you didn’t get any Executive club positions in your first year, it is not the end of the world. “Put yourself out there, do case competitions,” she recommends. “You’ll pick up valuable skills, memories, relationships, and get a glimpse into the case method.”
Evelyn also regrets not having more mentors in her early years. Although she understood the value of learning from others who have experienced similar challenges, she often felt nervous about reaching out or worried she was imposing. Her advice: “Honestly just reach out. Nine times out of ten, I promise people are going to help. Definitely try to get over that roadblock.” However, Evelyn also emphasized that many of her friends with AEO status taught her about coffee chats and networking, which set her up well for Ivey. There is a common phrase stating, “You are the average of your five people you spend the most time with.” Of course, your friends in these early years don’t need to be AEO. That said, friends who expand your horizons and steadfastly support you were essential for Evelyn and are crucial for anyone striving to maintain AEO status.
Academically, Evelyn’s transition from AEO to HBA was like “Night and Day”. While she loved the Health Science course content, she did not enjoy the teaching and testing frameworks. Through only one month of studying Health Sciences, I too can attest to 600-person lectures and entirely multiple-choice tests which rely heavily on memorization. These structures did not fit Evelyn’s natural learning style but forced her to adapt and grow as a student. However, it was a welcome change of pace to enter the interactive environment of Business 2257, and later, HBA1. She highlighted the differences: “They want to hear you speak. The exams are also very different. You’re applying what you know, and I definitely thrive in that environment.”
In my eyes, Evelyn is evidence that the two phases of life at Western don’t need to be binary. In fact, each of Evelyn’s internships has combined healthcare and business. These include internships at My Lil’ Healthbot, Interact Health PRO, and Grand Challenges Canada. Most recently, Evelyn worked as a Portfolio Intern at LEAP, a company which catalyzes large scale social impact in areas such as chronic disease. By now, Evelyn has incorporated the skills and knowledge of each field to become undeniable as a prospective healthcare consultant. The experience she has gained throughout her journey is paramount, making the two degrees more valuable than the sum of their parts. This is an accomplishment which every AEO student must strive for.
We all know that achieving AEO status is no easy feat. To get here, you didn’t dream small, cut corners, or settle for mediocrity. If Evelyn’s story can teach us anything, it’s that the goal for your AEO years is so much more complex than an 80% average and 2 extracurriculars. The goal is to attack these years with the same tenacity that you had in high school. If you take the opportunity to try, fail, learn, and grow -- even when it's uncomfortable -- you'll enter HBA1 as a well-rounded and resilient individual, better off for having faced those challenges.