Natasha Kelly

Bringing Home a Top Business Award

What does is take to be a Frank H. Sobey Award For Excellence in Business Studies recipient? Just ask third year CBU student, Natasha Kelly. Natasha is a business administration student, majoring in Accounting, with the Shannon School of Business and recently received the news that she is a 2012 award winner.  The Frank H. Sobey Awards for Excellence in Business Studies are given out each year to Atlantic university business students who demonstrate outstanding academics, entrepreneurial interest, extracurricular and community involvement, employment history and career aspirations. Out of 28 nominations, Natasha beat out her competition to receive one of the six scholarships in the amount of $15,000.

Born and raised in Glace Bay, N.S., Natasha chose to attend CBU for the same reason many of her high school classmates did, it was close to home. Natasha knew she did not want to move away and leave her friends and family behind. It wasn’t long however, before Natasha realized that close proximity was only a small benefit compared to the wonderful opportunities CBU had to offer her. “I would recommend CBU to anyone wishing to obtain a rewarding and excellent university experience,” Natasha says, crediting CBU with having anything a university student could want including small class sizes, the best professors, great food and an awesome pub. Mostly though, Natasha loves the people at CBU. “It is great that students can form such strong relationships with professors and other students. Everyone is able to interact with one another on a daily basis with ease.”

John McKinnon, Dean of the Shannon School of Business, nominated Natasha for the Sobey award after noticing her level of hard work and dedication to her program and the school. Natasha, surprised at first, was thrilled at the opportunity. “I wasn’t sure if I had the calibre to compete with the amazing candidates that apply each year. However, I felt I should have faith in myself and immediately started working on my application.” That faith and hard work definitely paid off for Natasha.  “When Dean MacKinnon told me I had been chosen as an award winner, I was so overwhelmed with joy; tears instantly began running down my cheeks,” says Natasha. “Receiving the Frank H. Sobey Award for Excellence in Business Studies is an incredible achievement that I am very proud of. I am so thankful to my professors and the Shannon School of Business for being so supportive over the past three years, they’ve really helped me make this possible.” Natasha thanks two of her professors in particular, Mr. Derrick Hayes and Mr. Martin Moy, for helping her with her application process. Without them she says, she would not have the honour of accepting this award.

At CBU, Natasha works as a Research Assistant for the Organizational Management Department. She is currently assisting professors, Dr. Dannie Brown and Dr. Princely Ifinedo with their research regarding what undergraduate students of diverse cultures hope to obtain from their first employment experience. When she is not working on her research, Natasha also works in the Shannon School of Business and supplies the Jennifer Keeping Accessibility Centre with her notes.  All work and no play is never any fun, so when Natasha wants to lighten things up, but still stay involved in the student life at CBU, she makes sure to take advantage of fun opportunities around campus.  Helping out with Frosh Week activities, Operation Red Nose and volunteering with the Kardio Kix for Kids program are just a few ways Natasha stays involved. Outside of CBU, Natasha keeps herself busy with two part-time jobs, waitressing at Swiss Chalet and as a Marketing Representative for Cape Breton with the Canada-wide agency BOOM! Marketing.

After graduating from CBU, Natasha plans to continue her education and obtain her Chartered Accountant Designation and pursue a Master of Business Administration degree. From there, Natasha hopes to someday own her own business in the Atlantic Provinces.