When he was a student, Tomson Varghese found that the more he gave to the University of Guelph-Humber, the more he seemed to get back.
Varghese first attended the University of Guelph-Humber after graduating high school, but he took a short break from his studies to work full-time. He always knew, however, that he wanted to finish his degree. When he eventually returned to UofGH, he threw himself into the school with passion and dedication.
Before he eventually graduated from the Business program in 2016, Varghese helped to found the Guelph-Humber Business Council and the Guelph-Humber Consulting Assocation, he became president of DECA-UGH, and he thrived taking part in case competitions.
“I threw myself into extra curriculars and leadership roles,” Varghese recalled recently. “The one thing UofGH kept pushing was the all-around involvement. It’s not just your lectures. It’s the presentations, the practicality, the simulations, the case competitions – the UofGH Business program did a great job of giving students an opportunity to get involved.
“I took it by the horns and ran with it.”
Now, Varghese has landed exactly the type of position he was hoping for as a student. He’s a management consulting analyst at Accenture Consulting.
He wants to help current UofGH students similarly bring their dreams to fruition. He volunteers his time as an alumni mentor to help Business students prepare for the rigours of DECA case competitions. He’s seen first-hand UofGH grow from the fledgling early days of competitions to its most recent year, when he helped as UofGH landed a record 17 first-place finishes.
As a student, he benefited from the mentoring of not just influential instructors – he singles out Business Program Head Dr. George Bragues and Assistant Program Head Justin Medak for their guidance and ongoing friendship – but also past UofGH graduates whose experiences helped make the career he wanted seem more tangible.
“When I was going to university there were a few people who stepped up and helped me out even when they didn’t have to,” he said. “This is my way of giving back and trying to support people and their goals.
“I love helping people succeed, and other people’s success actually motivates me as well.”
