Game-changing full-ride scholarship launches 1st Haskayne grad into a career in Calgary

Four years ago, the Haskayne School of Business received a tremendous gift that would forever change the lives of five students. Thanks to the Richard and Lois Haskayne Legacy Scholarship, a full-ride scholarship is helping five undergraduates achieve their Bachelor of Commerce. Emily Chen, the first recipient, graduated in June 2023, launching her career in Calgary as an investment banking analyst with the Energy, Infrastructure, and Transition Group at CIBC World Markets.

“What eventually made me choose Haskayne was both the scholarship and the Haskayne School of Business’s uniquely strong connections to the Calgary community, especially downtown,” says Chen. “I felt that close-knit culture, and because I wanted to be in Calgary, I thought it would be the best place to develop.”  

This is living proof that the scholarship is achieving its intended purpose — attracting the best and brightest incoming Bachelor of Commerce students to come to or stay in Calgary for their business education. 

When the scholarship was launched, Dick Haskayne, a Calgary business icon and the school’s benefactor, said, “This is a special scholarship designed by the business school to attract the most outstanding students. While it’s nice for me to have our name associated with the university, the people who are going to establish the reputation over time are the students.”

Chen excelled during her time at Haskayne, taking on a myriad of supplemental activities in addition to her studies. She participated in the Inter-Collegiate Business Case Competition (ICBC) three years in a row — being a part of teams that brought home first place in the marketing stream in 2022 and first place in the debate stream in 2023.

Exploring her interest in investment management, she took on roles with the Calgary Portfolio Management Trust and the Calgary Social Value Fund. Honing her leadership skills, Chen served as the vice-president academic for the Haskayne Students’ Association. She gave back to the community through pro-bono consulting projects for Calgary Immigrant Services and Fresh Routes. 

“I am incredibly honoured to look back on this time and reflect on the impact of this scholarship. It has absolutely meant the world to me, and has completely changed the direction of my life,” says Chen.

“I don't think at any other university I would have been able to build the connections and had the experiences that I've been able to have here. I’m so happy and proud to have graduated from the University of Calgary.”