SACKVILLE, NB — Mount Allison University Commerce student Alysha Walker has been named a 2024 recipient of the Frank H. Sobey Award for Excellence in Business Studies from the Sobey Foundation.

Valued at $45,000 each, the awards support the development of future business leaders and business programs in Atlantic Canadian Universities. The eight awards recipients were announced on March 27, 2024.

“Alysha’s outstanding leadership and community involvement make her a worthy recipient of a Frank H. Sobey Award,” says Dr. Jennifer Tomes, Mount Allison’s interim dean of social sciences and business. “Her innovative efforts to drive positive change in her community are inspiring and I look forward to seeing where her path leads her next.”

Originally from Ontario, Walker says it’s fate that brought her to Mount A.

“I used to work at a summer camp in PEI and my first summer my mom and I flew into Halifax and decided to do a little road trip up to PEI.”

They missed an exit and landed in Sackville instead.

“It was in the peak of summer, the campus was beautiful, and I fell in love with it,” says Walker.

Walker decided to pursue a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in economics and minoring in international business and economics.

“My degree in Commerce was very much inspired by my parents, who ran their own real estate and mortgage business,” she says.

Growing up in a family business gave her valuable work experience, shaping her understanding of entrepreneurship from a young age, and since coming to Mount A, Walker has been actively involved in extracurricular activities. She served as President of the Commerce Society for the past two years, organizing experiential learning and networking opportunities for fellow students, and worked as a teaching assistant. She even managed to earn both her realtor and mortgage licences.

One of her notable entrepreneurial endeavours is "The Hive," a housing platform aimed at improving the rental experience for students.

Drawing from her own negative experiences in the student rental market, Walker envisioned a platform that would help students find better housing options, with features like map-based listings, frequent updates, and a rating system for both landlords and tenants.

“I hope that a platform like this would help students find quality housing faster while also helping landlords find quality tenants,” Walker says.

Her business plan earned her first place in Mount Allison’s pitch competition last year and second place at the 2023 RBC Student Pitch Competition hosted by UNB.

Receiving a Frank H. Sobey Award marks a significant achievement for Walker.

“I’m incredibly thankful to the Sobey Foundation for this recognition,” she says.

She also credits her mentors, professors, and peers for their support.

“Mount A gave me the opportunity to realize my leadership potential and my entrepreneurial passions,” says Walker. “I’m so grateful for the guidance and encouragement I've received along the way.”

About the Frank H. Sobey Awards for Excellence in Business Studies
The Frank H. Sobey Awards for Excellence in Business Studies presents eight awards of $45,000 each. All full-time business students attending Atlantic universities are eligible for consideration. Deans of Business at each university nominate candidates based on entrepreneurship, supporting the communities in which they live and work, and their employment experience.

Established in 1989, the Frank H. Sobey Awards for Excellence in Business Studies have awarded more than $2.8 Million to business students in the four Atlantic Provinces. Each university in the region offering a business program has had at least one recipient of a Frank H. Sobey Award (frankhsobeyawards.com)