“Going back into education wasn’t part of my plan,” says Amelia. “But then an opportunity came up through my partner’s job to move to Belgium. So we came to Ghent. And I realised it was the right time to try something new.

“I was so close to the Vlerick campus – and it had the right accreditations. This was important because I wanted my degree to be recognised if I returned to Canada. I met with the school and the set-up of the programme intrigued me, especially the hands-on elements. They were so open to answering my questions too. It made my decision easy.”

Living and learning together

Amelia started her Full-time MBA in September 2019 – and says the first few months were intense. “There are long days, lots of classes and events, everyone is excited to be there. The first three to four months went by in a blur. But it’s a good kind of hectic.

“And you get plenty of support from your peers. The class was made up of people from many industries with different strengths – for example, classmates with finance backgrounds could help with the finance courses, I have sales experience so could help there. There was lots of reciprocal support which really helped to foster good relationships.“

Just as Amelia and her classmates were preparing for their first international trip together, the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Like much of the world, Belgium went into lockdown – and Amelia had to adapt quickly to remote learning.

Leaping into the unknown

“It was a big change – and I’ll admit I was sceptical about the MBA moving online. I like to plan and know what’s coming and this wasn’t possible with Covid! But Vlerick had online capability already and they pivoted quickly – I really appreciated that. They made it safe for us and the experience was as good as it could have been.

“When I compare the online classes we had during the MBA to ones I’d taken previously, they were much more interactive, there were opportunities to meet in groups virtually. Vlerick facilitated it really well. It was a crazy learning experience all around – we accomplished so much in those six months.”

Building community

One of the things that really helped Amelia through the months of online learning was her classmates.

“A highlight for me was the way the MBA brought us all together,” she says. “We’d have projects like the AI class with a 24-hour deadline. At the time it’s stressful. But when you finish you feel like you’ve really achieved something and it’s a great way to bond.

“The international feel really helps to build a nice community and this was especially valuable during the pandemic. You couldn’t see your family so your classmates really did become your chosen family.”

Embracing start-up culture

When she started her MBA, Amelia was convinced she wanted to work in a big company. But after the pandemic hit, she decided to shift her focus to start-ups. After graduating, she stepped into a role at Froomle – an AI-based personalisation start-up in Antwerp.

“The MBA showed me so many different career routes – and introduced me to the Belgian start-up scene, which is huge,” she says. “I’ve been with my current company for over a year now and I see myself staying in the start-up/scale-up world. In a big corporation, you often don’t see the results of a project. But in my role, I see the direct impact of what I do quickly, and that’s addictive.”

Amelia uses her MBA skills and knowledge regularly. She says: “My role encompasses so much and I feel fortunate that it covers so many areas – I really can put my MBA knowledge to the test! I often draw on the soft skills – leadership, negotiation and entrepreneurship all really apply in the start-up environment. I also find myself using skills from the corporate strategy course like critical thinking.

“The MBA includes time for internal analysis as well as business courses – and I didn’t realise how valuable that element of the programme would be. Understanding yourself and how you react under pressure is so important in a business environment.”

Making the most of her opportunities

“Making the decision to join the full-time MBA was the perfect alignment of so many things – and I’m really glad I did it,” says Amelia. “Vlerick offered so many opportunities and gave my career direction."

“Even though I studied during the pandemic, I’m not sure I’d go back and change that. Vlerick teaches you that you have to be able to adapt quickly – and COVID was a real test of that mindset. I really feel like I made the most of it.”

Amelia Labovitch graduated in 2020.

Full-time MBA

Our triple-accredited, 10-month, full-time MBA will change your life and accelerate your career path. Your journey will be hands-on and impactful – living and learning the skills, approaches and connections to become the agile leader top organisations need. 

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