Mohsen Alghazali spent one feverish week last fall searching for affordable flights to Ohio for Thanksgiving weekend.

The Accreditations and Quality Assurance Manager at Brock University’s Goodman School of Business wasn’t trying to get away for the long weekend, however. He was helping a member of Goodman’s Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) chapter get to the Business Student Ambassador Success Conference at Bowling Green University’s Schmidthorst College of Business.

Discouraged by the flight costs and the amount of paperwork needed to attend the conference, the student was losing hope she’d be able to go. That’s when Alghazali stepped in.

“The student gave up at the last minute, but I wasn’t giving up easily,” Alghazali said. “I said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll try to find a solution.’”

When no budget-friendly flight could be found, Alghazali drove the student to Bowling Green himself — eight hours each way — sacrificing his family Thanksgiving to help Goodman’s BGS chapter maintain its highest honours status.

That wasn’t the only time he went above and beyond for members of the international honour society while running the chapter with the help of two student volunteers after his BGS co-ordinator went on secondment in December 2023.

He also facilitated another transformative experience for a student, helping him attend a BGS leadership conference in Los Angeles — this time by plane.

Alghazali’s commitment and extraordinary efforts were recently recognized when he was named BGS Chapter Advisor of the Year. He stood out among more than 600 advisors and co-advisors across 40 countries for his significant contributions to the Brock chapter’s success and his steadfast support of the BGS mission throughout the academic year.

He is the first Goodman BGS chapter advisor to earn the honour.

“It’s amazing,” he said. “It’s world recognition. This is the best award I can think of when we have 600 clubs in 40 countries. It came at the right time, having worked one and a half years non-stop.”

The award is the third for the Goodman BGS chapter this school year.

Alghazali also helped two students apply for BGS scholarships. Sarah Chan was awarded the BGS Matching Scholarship worth US$1,000 and Aislinn Campbell received a US$500 scholarship.

“His efforts have contributed to the chapter’s continued excellence by ensuring that leadership is nurtured and sustained,” said Goodman Dean Barry Wright. “He searched for training opportunities for our BGS students to develop leadership skills and provide various opportunities to allow them to demonstrate their skills. He took the extra mile to ensure their participation, even if it meant that he drove students himself to Ohio.”

The significance of Alghazali’s actions over Thanksgiving weekend wasn’t lost on Wei Yang, a second-year MBA student who was able to attend the conference.

“He ensured that I engaged with business leaders and peers, which greatly enhanced my networking skills,” she said. “His facilitation of breakout sessions and his encouragement to actively participate in discussions allowed me to form meaningful connections that continue to influence my professional trajectory. His initiatives have created a culture of mentorship and collaboration within BGS, providing members with access to growth opportunities that extend beyond the chapter.”

Seeing students thrive is what drives him as chapter advisor, Alghazali said.

“The voices of our students are so important to us. We want students to grow and become proficient. That’s what Beta Gamma Sigma is all about.”