UTM Graduate in Finance and Economics prepares for a professional career in and outside the classroom.
For Myriam Djire (BCom 2023), studying commerce and management at U of T Mississauga (UTM) seemed like a natural fit: with several role models in her immediate family working in business, Djire was encouraged from a young age to pursue finance and she likes the overall satisfaction that comes with helping people sort through their respective situations.
“I thought working in finance would allow me to have a more meaningful impact on people’s everyday lives,” says Djire.
Now as a graduate with a bachelor’s degree specializing in finance and economics, Djire is excited to enter the professional field and pursue her passions for financial and risk analysis. She is currently working as a Credit Analyst with Moneris Solutions and is excited to pursue further opportunities along the path of financial and risk analysis.
While she was pursuing her undergraduate degree in management at UTM, Djire had several valuable learning experiences in class, citing a fourth-year behavioural finance course, MGT430 with Professor Lisa Kramer, for its eye-opening teaching methods.
“I saw finance from another point of view and could understand human behaviour in a more general sense,” says Djire.
Another key learning opportunity came from enrolling in the ECO400Y internship course.
For the duration of her fourth year of study, Djire also joined a team of financial advisors at Accureta Wealth Management as a Research Intern. Through her participation with this group, she saw the practical application of several skills, such as “market research, financial reports, balancing risk and return, and working meticulously in the financial industry.”
Djire credits much of her success to the skills gained in the Professional Skills Development Program offered through the Department of Management.
“This program was a mix of group discussions, networking events and lectures which completed the knowledge I needed to have as a finance professional,” says Djire, who highly encourages all current commerce students to tap into this resource.
In her upper years, Djire was also inspired to support incoming first-year students professionally: as a mentor with the Momentum Connections Program, she regularly met with first-year commerce students and facilitated a support network.
“It was important to me to help new students that were in my shoes when starting out,” says Djire.
She experienced a lack of community in her first year, so was motivated to join clubs and development programs.
In addition to providing a safe space for first-year students, Djire found the experience was an educational opportunity for herself as well.
“I learned that I am able to lead,” says Djire.
“I’m able to build community for others, which is something I didn’t know I was capable of before, and it feels great to take what I’ve learned and help others in similar situations.”