Great Grads 2020: Marcus Stukel, BCom/20

On June 19th, Carleton University approved this year’s list of graduates! While celebrations have moved online this year, it gives us even more reason to celebrate all our amazing graduates of 2020. We’ve asked a few of our Great Grads this year to share their memories of Carleton and the Sprott community.

Marcus Stukel graduated from the Bachelor of Commerce program with a concentration in Finance and a minor in Economics.

If you could choose one word to sum up your time at Sprott, what is it and why?

Supportive. The reason for choosing this word is that during my time at Sprott I always felt I had the support to pursue any goal or ambition I aspired to achieve. The support came from so many sources including my friends, family and of course the Sprott School of Business.

What were your goals when you started at Sprott? Did you achieve them?

When I started at Sprott my main goals were to ensure that I was successful academically while still enjoying myself and really getting the most from my university experience. I definitely think I was able to accomplish this as looking back on my experience there isn’t a single thing I would change!

What is your favourite Sprott memory?

Some of my favourite memories during my time at Sprott came from all the opportunities I had to travel around both Canada and Europe. In completing an academic exchange I was afforded the chance to live in a completely different country and make friends/memories that I will cherish forever. Additionally, through case competitions and my time on the Sprott Student Investment Fund I was able to explore Toronto and Vancouver with some of my closest friends.

What was your favourite course or professor?

My favourite course I took at Carleton was Financial Derivatives. I enjoyed this course for two reasons, the first being it did a great job of combining both theoretical and practical frameworks to really provide a great opportunity for learning. Additionally, it was one of the first courses I was able to take that was specific to my major, so of course I will always have fond memories of it.

What was the most important lesson you learned during your time at Sprott?

The most important lesson I learned during my time at Sprott is the importance of taking yourself out of your comfort zone and how greatly this can contribute to both personal and professional growth. Looking back over the past five years I can think of many experiences where I really had to push myself and can say with certainty that these experiences have helped shape who I am today.

What will you miss the most?

Certainly what I will miss the most is the quality time with my friends. Spending so much time at school working on assignments and what not, you don’t realize how close you become to those around you. The time spent is really irreplaceable and something I will greatly miss as I move forward in life.

What’s next for you?

I recently got a job as a Financial Analyst, for one of the largest multi-family residential real-estate developers in the National Capital Region. I am extremely happy to have received the opportunity and have really enjoying the work, it’s great to see some of my experience from school carry over to the professional world. Outside of work, I hope to continue travelling and experiencing the various cultures of the world!