Imaiya Ravichandran

Where did you live before you joined Ivey?

Toronto, Canada

Why did you decide to do an MBA?

Of all the MBAs I considered, Ivey stood apart for its emphasis on community. The spirit of communal support and generosity is woven into the very fabric of the program, from student learning teams to the hands-on career management office to alumni who are always eager to connect. There is also a strong focus on healthy debate skills via case-based learning, which is crucial when building community in the workplace. I knew the soft skills that I stood to gain from an Ivey MBA would be instrumental in my ability to nurture others, which ultimately, for me, is the most important measure of professional success.

What is the most significant thing you've learned at Ivey?

The most important thing I've learned at Ivey (so far) is to roll with the punches. I think back to one of my first classes when we were keenly discussing a case. I was listening to others speak and raised my hand eagerly to offer what I thought was a brilliant comment. Yet just as I thought the professor would call on me, he looked away and moved on to another topic. I spent the next hour stewing in my disappointment, at the cost of not listening to and participating in the rest of the discussion.

After class, I thought about my reaction some more. I realized that by dwelling on a minor disappointment for too long, I missed out on other future opportunities to participate in the discussion. I also missed out on learning from my classmates' valuable comments. I vowed to approach future classes with a more positive attitude. And in fact, I started approaching the entire program with the same principle: Acknowledge the disappointment. Find the learnings. Move on (with a smile!).