Alumni Spotlight: Amy Grochot

When exploring her options for post-secondary, Amy Grochot wasn’t entirely sure what she wanted to study, but she knew she wanted to be in Ottawa.

“It wasn’t so much the business degree I was looking for, but more so where I wanted to be located.”

Growing up in St. Catharines, ON, Amy regularly visited Ottawa to spend time with family and fell in love with the city.

“I always thought Ottawa was such a beautiful place,” says Amy. “And Sprott’s community was so involved, welcoming and fostered a communal environment I was looking for.”

Amy admits she spent most of her first two years at Sprott hiding in the shadows, only coming to campus to go to class, then heading home. In her third year, Amy realized that she wanted to leave Sprott with more than just a degree and took the initiative to get more involved with student clubs and societies.

“I had been meeting all these cool people that had been doing such cool things and realized I wanted that for myself and to make the most of my time at Sprott,” she recalls.

Since then, Amy has been extensively involved in many extracurricular and leadership roles on campus.

She served as Corporate Clubs Director of Sprott Business Student’s Society, President of Sprott Information Systems Students’ Association and Sponsorship Director of JDCC.

“I’m all about making connections, meeting new people and growing that network,” she adds. “The biggest thing that’s come out of those experiences is the ability to connect, learn and grow.”

Amy notes that one of the most memorable experiences was taking BUSI 4111: Training and Development, a fourth-year course where she was given the opportunity to teach a section of a second-year level business course.

“It was a great leadership experience to teach with a partner and being around a great group of teachers,” she says. “It was a few years ago, but all of us who taught together still talk and hang out. We’re actually going camping next month!”

Additionally, she describes her experience with the Co-op program as the best decision of her entire academic career. She completed all three of her Co-op terms at Orbis Risk Consulting, a small consulting firm in Ottawa.

“I learned so much more than I would have if I tried to find part-time jobs or other opportunities on my own,” she says. “It set me up for my career moving forward. I wouldn’t be starting out on such a great level as I would be without that experience.

Amy will be graduating from Sprott with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, concentration in Information Systems in the upcoming June ceremony. She is starting a full-time position as a Consulting Analyst with Accenture in September.

Before moving on from Sprott, Amy says she would have to give thanks to those who helped her along the way. She credits Sprott’s Business Career Management Centre (BCMC) team with improving her resume and job searching skills.

“I was always going to them if I had a question or concern,” she says. “Every piece of advice they gave me was valued.”

Amy says she’s grateful for Prof. Rob Smart’s mentorship over her last three years at Sprott. He oversees the Training and Development course she participated in and has taught her several classes over the years.

“I know I can always go into his office with any issue,” says Amy. “He was always super open and honest with me.”

Her biggest take-away from Sprott moving forward is to build the community you want to live in. She says taking risks and stepping out of your comfort zone is the best way to invest in yourself and your future.