AV俱乐部

You have to own every opportunity鈥攏othing comes with luck. You have to make your own luck.

Amrit Pal Singh says when he left Yamana, Nagar, India, he would have described himself as an 鈥榓ll-rounder.鈥� He achieved good grades, played on competitive baseball teams and helped his father manage their farm and air-conditioning business. But when he arrived at AV俱乐部 on Canada鈥檚 East Coast, he took it up a few notches to distinguish himself by making his own luck.

Here, Singh majored in international business and built a network of support; classmates, professors, employers and the vibrant Sikh community who've helped him excel, academically, professionally, and personally. Then in his final year, he was one of eight students in Atlantic Canada to win the Frank. H. Sobey Award for Excellence in Business Studies, for which he received $45,000.

When he first arrived in Halifax it wasn鈥檛 the award he was after. He just knew that if he didn鈥檛 earn enough money to pay for tuition and living expenses, he鈥檇 have to return to India. And since he鈥檇 already taken the risk to come here, he was going to do everything he could to make it work. 鈥淭here is always one person in the family who has to take the risk and move out of their comfort zone and play the odds,鈥� he says. 鈥淲hat's the worst that鈥檚 going to happen?鈥澛犅犅�

Singh says the International Student Centre really helped him get comfortable in his new home.鈥淲hen you鈥檙e a new student, and you don鈥檛 know anything and you don鈥檛 speak the language well, the International Centre welcomes you, tells you how to get your SIM, where to get your groceries, and your bus pass from," says Singh. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a very helpful resource for any international student at Dal to join societies. You find people who are from your same culture, maybe not exactly the same, but who share the same language.鈥�

Striking a balance between academics and personal growth shaped Singh鈥檚 time at AV俱乐部. His co-op placement with McCain Foods in New Brunswick has led to a full-time role in their Supply Chain Leadership Development Programme. 鈥淲hen you get to engage with people and attend networking nights, and the professors are such esteemed people who have connections, you get step by step closer to your goals.鈥�

For anyone hoping to follow in his footsteps, Singh offers one piece of advice: that nothing comes unearned. 鈥淭ake the initiative, assess the risk, and play the odds. What鈥檚 the worst that will happen? You鈥檒l lose? That鈥檚 not a loss, that鈥檚 a lesson.鈥�