Fatima Maqbool (BAcc ’26) and Alycja Kyra Kinio (BBA ‘22, MBA ’26) were determined to leave the Goodman School of Business community stronger than they found it.

Each received a Board of Trustees Spirit of Brock medal in recognition of their contributions on Friday, June 12 during Brock University’s 119th Convocation.

Maqbool, a Bachelor of Accounting graduate, got involved at Goodman as a way to break out of her shell and make friends. She threw herself into student club opportunities and took on roles with increasing levels of responsibility each year.

“Being involved honestly brought my spark back and made me a much better and healthier version of myself,” she said. “I knew I would develop as a person, but I also found myself becoming someone who could make a difference and create meaningful change within the community.”

Her involvement in Goodman’s largest competition team, JDCC, was triggered by a social media post that showed how much fun members had together. Her involvement with the club grew from being an academic delegate to taking on the roles of co-captain and finally serving as the team’s godparent during her final year.

Maqbool acknowledges taking the first steps to get involved isn’t always easy.

“It’s difficult to put yourself out there, but you always should,” she said. “What’s the worst that could happen, you hear a ‘no’? Hearing a ‘no’ today doesn’t mean no forever. That same door may open down the road, or a better one might open up. You just have to stay positive and persistent, because giving up is never an option.”

Maqbool will be starting as a Staff Accountant at Deloitte in Toronto this fall as she continues her path towards her CPA designation.

Returning to Goodman for an MBA after a stint in the corporate world, Kinio wanted to help current students fully understand the layers and depth of the business world – information she wished she had grasped earlier.

“The business world can be really transactional, I wanted to be very transparent and make the business world more approachable” Kinio said. “I had realized that everyone is on a different level when they start the game, and if we all had the same tools, that can help alleviate stress and equalize opportunities.”

She volunteered as a guest speaker to Goodman student clubs, including the Goodman Consulting Association, but found her passion and impact came from the one-on-one interactions mentoring and advising students.

“Sometimes just showing up for people creates the ripple effect that you don’t even always see yourself until you are out of the situation,” she said.

Kinio was also inducted into Goodman’s Beta Gamma Sigma Honours Society following Convocation for her academic excellence during the MBA program.