Originally from Kingston, Jamaica, Benjamin Harper is a second-year Bachelor of Commerce Co-op student pursuing a major in Finance. “Truly, the co-op program has provided me with the opportunity to gain real-world experience, which is invaluable to me.”

Throughout his time at Dalhousie so far, Benjamin has been involved in four case competitions. “I had some prior experience with professional development activities in high school, but coming to Dal, I realized that a key component of maximizing my four years here was to participate in extracurriculars.” In his first case competition, Rumble in the Rowe, his team came in second place, pushing him to keep competing and exploring other opportunities.

His most challenging competition was the Strategic Solutions Summit hosted by the Dalhousie Management Society, his final competition of his first year. “My team and I had three days to create a solution to this complex problem, and it nearly broke us,” he explains, “My team and I thought about quitting three times, just trying to come up with an idea that we would be satisfied with.” In the end, they came together with an idea they were proud of and accomplished what they had set out to do, securing the first-place prize.

After a successful year of case competitions in which his team earned recognition each time, Benjamin identifies three attributes that made his teams stand out. “Each member had their own skills, experience, and confidence in their abilities. Each member was confident and challenged each other. Finally, we learn from every competition. This is the most important for continued success. In every single competition, you must learn something new, even when you do well.”

Benjamin highly encourages other students to get involved in professional development early in their program. “It’s a great way to meet people, develop skills, work in tense situations, and work professionally. Keep at it, don’t be discouraged or scared to compete.”

Looking ahead to his first co-op, Benjamin believes his case competition experience has prepared him well for the workplace. “The skills and experience have helped me understand how to be creative and properly explain a solution to a problem. My case competition experience has already helped me secure career opportunities and has helped me operate in my roles.”

Thanks to his case competition experience and drive to keep learning, Benjamin feels more ready than ever to take on the professional world and make the most of what’s ahead.