Athabasca University Convocation | #AthaU21
Convocation Countdown: Day 16—Tione Dhesi
To celebrate the #AthaU21 Convocation, we are profiling some of our amazing graduates. Athabasca University (AU) is so proud of everything they have accomplished and we are excited to celebrate each and every one of them at this year’s virtual convocation!
We caught up with one of our Master of Business Administration (MBA) graduates, Tione Dhesi, to find out more about her story and AU journey.
Prior to her MBA journey, Dhesi was looking for an opportunity to grow and advance professionally. After choosing AU because of its online and asynchronous environment, she was hopeful the MBA program would help her transition into a management role within healthcare.
Challenging circumstances
One of Dhesi’s favourite moments from her MBA journey was when she found out she had met the requirements for passing the Comprehensive Exam. The major milestone proved to her that she was capable of navigating challenging circumstances while executing a level of performance that was on par with AU’s standards.
While completing her MBA, Dhesi became a new mother to twins, worked in healthcare while managing real estate investments, and was met with the devastating news of her husband’s stage IV brain cancer diagnosis.
“Over the past five years I have been able to prove to myself time-and-time again that I can overcome anything I put my mind to. Navigating life as a new mother of twins, real estate investments, COVID, and helping my husband overcome his stage IV brain cancer diagnosis while completing my MBA was an emotional roller coaster,” she said.
Realizing that focusing on the cumulative workload and potential outcomes was wearing her down and holding her back, Deshi adopted a mantra of “focus on what is in front of you.” She attributes a change in mindset to helping her focus on key objectives.
Excited for the future
After being admitted into the program, she realized that the advantage of doing an MBA is the doors it opens to a diverse group of industries that she did not initially consider. Currently, she is assessing her options and excited for what the future holds.
Looking back, she is grateful to her husband and in-laws who were her biggest supporters, and feels privileged to have had amazing professors including Dr. Glenn Coltman, Gord Sorli, Alan Franklin, Dr. Karen Somerville, and Dr. Kam Jugdev who were incredibly understanding of her circumstances.
