Haskayne grad gets Wall Street job straight out of university

Mark Lee exemplifies the Haskayne School of Business spirit. He is an exceptional student who has demonstrated the ability to be a strong and ethical leader, inspiring both students and professors.

Lee has gone above and beyond to make his university career one to remember. On June 10, he walks the stage with a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance (with distinction) and Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy (First Class Honours) and the President’s Award for Excellence in Student Leadership.

He accepted a position in New York City as an investment banking analyst for RBC Capital Markets but securing a job on Wall Street straight out of university was no easy feat.

To maintain his top academic performance, Lee advises future students to “choose a good professor, not the course. A good professor can make any course come alive for you and you will usually end up not only enjoying it more, but you come out with a better grade.”

'Take full advantage of this opportunity that is university'

Lee is known as a leader among his peers. When asked what advice he would give to future Haskayne students, he says, “Take full advantage of this opportunity that is university — explore and push yourself like you’ll never be able to again in order to position yourself for where you want to go.

“The first step in climbing that stairwell resides in getting to know who you are. As you start your journey in the pressure cooker that is business school — in the thick of your first mid-terms, that disastrous group project, and the completely different social circles you find yourself in — it’s easy to forget to self-reflect.

“Also, give back. Haskayne will provide great opportunities for you — once you partake in them, make those opportunities available for others.

Have a mentor, be a mentor

Lee also believes that having a mentor and being a mentor is a key factor to his success.

“If you have the fortune of meeting a good mentor, mentor someone younger than you. I’ve sent out dozens of resume and cover letter suggestions to students I don’t even know,” says Lee.

“Business school has a notorious reputation for students competing with each other but sometimes, this hinders our goal in developing a nurturing, rich, vibrant community where students truly care about each other.

"Let’s challenge competition with collaboration. Whether it was a course I helped out on, or an interview I helped someone prep for, there was nothing more gratifying than hearing back from someone you have helped out in the past.”

Awards and achievements during university years 

Lee received numerous accolades during his university career: Inter-Collegiate Business Competition National Champion (Finance), Berg Cup Case Study Competition Champion, an Undergraduate Research Symposium Award, Program for Undergraduate Research Award, Canadian Interuniversity Sport Academic All-Canadian Honour, the Suncor Emerging Leaders Award in Business, the Louise McKinney Award, the George Arthur and Lily Hadden Sullivan Award in Humanities and Science and an induction into the prestigious Scholars Academy Program for the university’s best and brightest students. He was also invited to present at various international academic conferences on social justice issues.