Erica Thom has made a name for herself at Brock’s Goodman School of Business.

The second-year business administration dual-degree student was awarded the Rookie of the Year award for her contributions to the Brock Finance and Investment Group (BFIG) at an awards ceremony April 7.

Hosted by the Goodman Business Students’ Association, the annual Recognition Night recognizes student leaders for their contributions to student life at the Goodman School of Business, while also acknowledging the support of community partners and sponsors.

The event marks the end of the student leadership term and provides an opportunity for each club to highlight the key successes and contributions of their organization.

Each club presents two awards to students who went above and beyond in their co-curricular involvement.

Erica Thom, winner of the Rookie of the Year award for Brock Finance and Investment Group (BFIG), is pictured with BFIG President Colin Hardy and Ishan Patel, winner of BFIG’s Outstanding Contribution Award.

Thom held the Vice-President position on BFIG’s team and took a lead role in planning Stock Pitch Challenge, an internal competition that saw finance students choose, analyze and pitch stock information to judges from Goodman, Cooper Wealth Management and Spara Capital Partners.

Thom was recognized by BFIG President Colin Hardy for her dedication to the club, strong work ethic and planning and organizational skills.

“I was very humbled by the award,” Thom said after receiving the honour.

“I’m actually the first female and the youngest vice-president in the history of BFIG. To have accomplished that and then get recognized through this award was really exciting for me.”

Thom said club involvement has been the most valuable part of her Brock experience and it has helped point her in the right direction for her career path.

“When I first started in BFIG, I was interested in capital markets but wasn’t doing personal investing yet. By attending this club’s events and going to every meeting and absorbing the knowledge that came from being around other people interested in finance, I was able to be more engaged,” she said.

“It lead to further interest in finance and that is helping me on my career path as I start to look for jobs in the finance industry.”

Thom has a lot of passion for BFIG and wants to encourage other students to find a club that suits their interests.

“Club involvement is a great way to focus your interest and gain career experience,” she said. “I really do think club involvement is what sets students apart and it really stands out to employers. I’ve been using it a lot in my job search.”

Thom is taking on another BFIG leadership role this fall before heading to Germany in the winter semester to finish the second half of her degree as part of Goodman’s unique BBA Co-op International Dual Degree program.

In total, Goodman student clubs in the 2016-17 school year raised $6,621 for charities and sent 417 students to business competitions and conferences.

Other highlights of the evening were the Goodman Professor of the Year award presentations. Based on student votes, Professor Darlene Bay won the undergraduate award and Professor Danny Cho won the graduate award, presented by Goodman Business Students’ Association President Nick Hollard and Goodman Graduate Business Council President Leonia Yiu.

Recognition Night award winners:

Brock Finance and Investment Group

• Rookie of the Year: Erica Thom
• Outstanding Contribution: Ishan Patel

Brock Innovation Group:

• Rookie of the Year: Leanne Karat
• Outstanding Contribution: Alyssa DiCienzo

Brock Marketing Association

• Rookie of the Year: Josh Nail
• Outstanding Contribution: Sahil Budwal

Goodman Accounting Students’ Association

• Rookie of the Year: Lauryn Davidson
• Outstanding Contribution: Kawshik Basak
• Paul Hansell Competition Award: Jasmeen Hundal and Trevor Gibbons

Goodman Business Students’ Association

• Apprentice of the Year: Meera Lad
• Rookie of the Year: Diana Chan
• Bryan Butryn Award for Outstanding Contribution: Cody Weber and Dan Giddings

Goodman DECA

• Rookie of the Year: Justin Enns
• Outstanding Contribution: Zach Ferry

Goodman Graduate Business Council

• Outstanding Executive: Blair Hutchings
• Volunteer Initiative: Neville Cherian

Goodman Human Resource Management Association

• Rookie of the Year: Evan O’Dell
• Outstanding Contribution: Charnjot Brar

Goodman Student Ambassador Association

• Rookie of the Year: Colleen Simons
• Outstanding Contribution: Ciara O’Connell

Club Awards

• Best New Initiative Award: Goodman Human Resource Management Association
• Community Impact Award: Brock Marketing Association
• Rising Club: Goodman DECA