The sky may not even prove to be the limit for Reuben Mann, who will graduate with a Master of Business Administration degree at UNBC’s 2023 Convocation on May 26.

Mann is the head of marketing for Kelowna-based aerospace company, SKYTRAC, which focuses on Low Earth Orbit satellite communications.

“I wanted to pursue my MBA because I felt it would give me the tools to excel even further in the workplace,” he says. “With my undergraduate degree in Biochemistry, I have been largely self-taught in marketing as I’ve worked my way into leadership roles in aviation and aerospace.”

Mann took the first year of his undergraduate degree at the University of Northern British Columbia in 2011 before graduating from the University of British Columbia in 2016. “UNBC was ranked high in the primarily undergraduate category of Canadian universities, which played into my decision-making,” he says. “Being from California, I also wanted to experience what life was like in B.C.’s ‘Gateway to the North’. The wildlife, the expansive trails, the lakes – it was unlike any previous experience I had and I thoroughly enjoyed the tight community feel on campus.”

Mann chose UNBC, once again, when deciding to pursue his MBA. He says the program offered the perfect mix of technical accounting, finance and business analytic skills with theory courses, helping him to become a better leader and manager.

“The program has had an immediate impact on my managerial capacity,” he says. “And it will also allow me to ensure my department works efficiently, as I implement the project management, strategy and leadership principles my cohort discussed in the classroom.”

Mann credits the unique structure of the program and its weekend classes with providing the flexibility he needed to balance both full-time work and a full course load.

As much as he plans to draw on his MBA for his professional growth, Mann is committed to using his skills and insights to give back to community. And that’s the message he plans to share with the graduating class of 2023 when he delivers the valedictory address at the afternoon ceremony at UNBC’s Prince George campus.

“I believe it is our responsibility as members of society to use our talents and resources to make a positive impact where we can,” he says. “We truly can make a global impact from anywhere.”

Mann believes he met many of these change agents in his MBA cohort. “During the program, my colleagues were working from BC to make social change in Iran, were working on finding better opportunities for their families by immigrating to Canada and were also focused on imparting positive environmental change right here in Canada.

“Over the 21-month program, it became clear to me that we can make an impact no matter where we’re based.”

Mann’s personal service to community already includes raising thousands of dollars for local charities in Kelowna, organizing community-wide events in Abbotsford that attracted thousands, and initiating a campaign for testicular cancer that was shared around the world.

“Knowing that I am contributing to a cause that is larger than myself gives me a sense of purpose and satisfaction, and I believe that is something we can all aspire to.”