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The Physics department sponsored 4th year Engineering Physics Student, Ekin Yelken to attend the 2024 ACE Nationals.

Ekin says: "I didn't know how much I was going to love this experience. It makes me glad that the department is so willing to invest in my interests and development. I am proud to represent us on this large of a scale."

ACE Nationals is the largest undergraduate conference in Canada designed to connect and empower students who are interested in the world of business and commerce. Students of all academic backgrounds gather to test their skills in case competitions for subjects of their choosing. 

This year was special: 1000+ students from more than 20 delegations competed and Queen's sent a delegation for the first time in half a decade! The delegates were Ekin Yelken (Eng Phys) and Nicholas Griffis (Civil) from Smith Engineering and Ben Douglas and Zale Iankelevic from Smith Commerce. 

Ben and Ekin (farthest left and second from left respectively) competed in the stock pitch, a special category where contestants present a stock to a panel of industry professionals. Ben brought a mixture of expertise in financial analysis and business acumen. Ekin leveraged the research, technical analysis, and communication skills built through Smith Engineering's unique engineering design courses. His work in translating complex information into simple and convincing format was integral to the smooth pitch.

Zale (second from right) competed in the management consulting case, two vigorous rounds of working through complex business problems. Nicholas (far right) tested his skills in finance in the corporate finance category, earning a medal for the team!

Overall, this experience was a great way to grow professional skills and network with experts in the industry. Each of the members would highly recommend participating! 

From left to right: Ben Douglas (Smith Commerce), Ekin Yelken (Eng Phys), Zale Iankelevic (Smith Commerce), Nicholas Griffis (Civil). Photo courtesy of Ekin Yelken.