McMasterAlumni

Sometimes when we think we have it all planned out, we suddenly come to the realization that there is good in the unexpected. And that is exactly what these Mac grads can attest to! MacCast: Unconventional, our new podcast series which aims to highlight how McMaster graduates paved their way into the world, and found themselves in their current positions.

Sometimes when we think we have it all planned out, we suddenly come to the realization that there is good in the unexpected. And that is exactly what these Mac grads can attest to! MacCast: Unconventional, our new podcast series which aims to highlight how McMaster graduates paved their way into the world, and found themselves in their current positions.

In this episode of Unconventional, Siobhan tells the story of how she found a love for understanding herself and the people around as an undergrad at Mac and turned it into a meaningful career as a freelance writer, blogger for the Huffington Post, author, motivational speaker, a community activist, and a proud mother-of-three. Her first book, The Treasure You Seek, weaves her own wisdoms and observations together with famous tales of failure, growth, and change to remind readers that we have all we need to be the change we wish to see.

Dilshan has deeply seeded love for art, poetry, and music, which led him to participate in student clubs that used art to engage vulnerable populations and foster wellness. But it wasn’t until his fourth year that Dilshan discovered the Health Science Education program, sparking new interests that led to a leap of faith that would put him on a career path he never dreamed of. Now, a medical student at U of T, Dilshan has also kept his art going and has published two books of poetry, continues to write music, and has a podcast of his own, Shoot the Ship. In this episode of the Mac Alumni podcast Unconventional, Dilshan describes how he managed to carve out a successful a career journey that to him often felt like a black box. While it may not have been linked to an overall masterplan, he’s managed to grow a career that will combine his dedication to medicine, wellness, and art.

When Shari tells people she is a veterinarian with a computer engineering degree, she sometimes gets funny looks and a few raised eyebrows. But for her, the seemingly odd educational pairing has helped her cultivate a career in what she calls smart agriculture. After taking some incredible turns along the journey, Shari is proud to be the owner of CATTLEytics, a company focused on providing dairy and feedlot clients with the hardware and software they need to manage their business. In this episode of our Unconventional podcast series, Shari tells the story about how she found herself leaving a decade-long career in software development to start making choices that were focused on what she wanted and not what every expected her to do.

A degree in Life Sciences often conjures images of a career in health care, or maybe working in a laboratory, or even working in health policy development – not necessarily a career in the beauty industry. For Belicia, making the move away from what she thought she wanted was about making a choice that would blend her passion for fashion and skin care with the knowledge she gained from her time at Mac. Ultimately, taking that leap would put her on the path towards a dream career in PR that seeks to amplify storytelling through media and influencer relations. In this first episode of season 2 of Unconventional, Belicia talks about how the five-year plan she came up with as a teenager adapted and changed while she was in University. And rather than panicking, she learned to roll with it, follow her heart, and, with a little creativity, carve out a career path that was uniquely hers.

As one of a handful of black billionaires around the world, it’s safe to say that Michael Lee-Chin has had a successful career. But the path from landscaper to world renowned business leader has been far from straightforward. Having arrived in Hamilton from Jamaica to attend McMaster in 1970, he found himself feeling a bit disorientated – things were very different from the life he had been living in a small rural community on the Caribbean island. But it was the nurturing and supportive environment McMaster provided that helped him strengthen his confidence and achieve his goals. It’s an experience he is grateful to have had and one he speaks of fondly. In this episode of Unconventional, Michael discusses his purpose-driven approach to cultivating success and reflects on the ups and downs of an amazing, and often humbling, career journey.

Like many students when they start university, Lavan had no clear plan for his future and was there because he felt it was expected of him. But it was going to university that helped him discover a sense of curiosity and by the end of his fourth year he knew he had developed three broad interests: how history influences current events; an interest regarding refugee and war stories; and third, writing. Figuring out how to bring all three together would take a little while. A unique volunteering experience led him to a Master’s in International Development and eventually, to working with the UN in Africa. This episode features Lavan’s unique and interesting journey from not knowing what to do with his life to finding something completely fulfilling.

Chris has always had the entrepreneurial spirit. From wowing audiences with his own magic show as a teen to launching his own digital marketing business while trying to earn a business degree at McMaster. The business degree, didn’t quite work out and Chris switched gears, finishing university with a degree in Sociology. He eventually fell out of love with digital marketing and the business he started closed its doors. But that entrepreneurial spirit wasn’t about to burn out. Now, he and his business partner own and run Obie, a digital platform that enables businesses to quickly find and capture knowledge at work. In this episode, we hear how Chris has taken risks, turns and welcomed unexpected opportunities to take a career journey that is far from conventional.

Jaclyn is a self-professed super fan of the movie Twister, a weather enthusiast and has always been interested in the inner and outer workings of the planet. While at Mac, she was exposed to several career paths and even a post-graduate research opportunity that would allow her to continue work done for an undergraduate thesis without leaving the country. But something just didn’t feel quite right. Taking a leap of faith, Jaclyn moved across the ocean to take a MSc Applied Meteorology and Climatology at the University of Birmingham in England. Now, she’s a meteorologist for the Weather Network where she gets to apply her knowledge while chasing storms just like they do in the movies. In this episode of our podcast, Jaclyn shares stories about cultivating success by taking risks, pushing your own boundaries, and following your heart, wherever it may lead you.