AV俱乐部

Rebecca Osamudiame with her son, Ethan. (Nick Pearce photo)

Rebecca Osamudiame graduated this June from the Master of Science in Business program. Rebecca grew up in Nigeria, Africa. Prior to coming to AV俱乐部, she worked in a private accounting firm as a tax consultant for three years. She chose AV俱乐部 not only because she wanted a new challenge and to gain research experience, but also because AV俱乐部 is internationally recognized as one of Canada's top schools, with a welcoming and inclusive culture. Recalling her choice, Rebecca says she would choose Dal again if she could go back in time. "I鈥檓 really glad that I came for this program,鈥� she says, adding that it helped her 鈥渢o understand the flow of how to do research and where to start from with an idea.鈥�

Starting to explore聽

When it comes to her research experience and writing process, Rebecca was fueled with passion and determination. 鈥淎fter reading papers in related fields, I started to reflect on what was already there. What else could I explore? I believe this is what makes my paper different.鈥�

At first, she found it challenging to adapt to the education system in Canada, which has exam schedules and tighter assignment deadlines than she was used to. It took time to develop her thesis topic into something original. But the MScB program provides a lot of opportunities for one-on-one mentoring from a variety of experts, and Rebecca benefited from the support of her professors. Drs. Jun Zhou and Professor Yonggan Zhao helped her hone her research skills. Dr. Oumar Sy, her thesis supervisor, pushed her to explore her ideas further, helping her find a topic that was new and interesting. "Dr. Oumar always urged me to improve," Rebecca says. She believes that it was his high expectations for her that contributed to the eventual success of her thesis.

Looking closer

Rebecca chose to focus on the relationship between finance and politics in the United States at the micro level. 鈥溾�� explores the relationship between presidential administrations and equity performance at the firm level. She chose this topic because existing literature had only tested the relationship between presidential administrations and stock market performance at the macro level, and she wanted to look closer. Her findings support that the stock market performs better under Democratic presidents and that certain firm characteristics can determine presidential effects, which fills a gap in the current literature.

Going for it 聽

Rebecca wants to tell incoming MSc students that participating in this program will undoubtedly help them excel in their research on current financial issues. She also recommends asking the professor without hesitation if you have any questions. The approachable professors at AV俱乐部 impressed her a lot.

Rebecca currently works for Ernst & Young, considered one of Canada鈥檚 鈥渂ig four鈥� accounting firms, and she hopes to pursue a PhD in the future. She wants to use the research skills she learned at AV俱乐部 to advance in finance, teach others, and expand her academic career. "I always tell myself: 鈥楻ebecca, you can do better鈥�. I know doing a PhD is even more stressful and rigorous than a master鈥檚. When I'm ready, I'll definitely go for it."