Business education beyond the classroom
Learn more about the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA).
Drew Wolfe didn’t want to learn business theory in isolation.
That’s what attracted him to Royal Roads University’s Bachelor of Business Administration in Innovation and Sustainability. With real-world live case challenges, students learn by applying theory to relevant problems in the business community.
“It was the best way to get an education while actively being involved in real world business,” says Wolfe, Class of 2023. “It’s a hands-on program, with real-world challenges that are very collaborative.”
With a background in professional figure skating and public speaking, the BBA offered the perfect way to bridge those experiences with the business world. The program’s condensed 16-month delivery time and flexible admissions options were also appealing.
“It felt like applying to a job rather than a school,” he says of the admissions process. “It allowed me to explain who I was and let them know why I thought I would be successful.”
Real-world challenges, real impact
That practical, professional approach continued with local business case studies. With BRNKL, he worked with the company and T’Sou-ke First Nation on a project to monitor derelict boats in the Sooke Basin.
“We learned first-hand from Indigenous leaders about what the issue meant to them, and we got to work directly with a successful entrepreneur in the marine tech space,” Wolfe says. “It brought together a lot of ideas that were really relevant.”
The final case study, with Ecoasis Developments, brought the triple bottom line – people, planet, and profit - into focus. Tasked with proposing ways to offset carbon emissions from a high-end resort development, the work highlighted the complexity of balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability.
As part of his degree, Wolfe also did a study-abroad term at Ghent University in Belgium.
“It was one of the most memorable times of my life,” he says. “It helped me understand how advanced Canada is in it’s educational approach with regards to integrating the triple bottom line theory to its teaching; a concept RRU is pushing the boundaries on.”
Rethinking success
These experiences fundamentally shifted Wolfe’s understanding of business.
“It allowed me to see very successful businesses that aren’t successful because of profit, but rather because of what they value,” he says. “Benefiting shareholders is what brought us a long way, but it doesn’t mean it is the only model we should use going forward.”
One of the most impactful lessons surprised him in its simplicity.
“It’s not aways the big ideas that moves things forward – sometimes smaller ideas can make a bigger change,” he says. “We just need to constantly move the needle.”
Applying the lessons
Today, Wolfe works as a wealth planning associate with Nicola Wealth, where the lessons from the classroom continue to shape his approach.
“The BBA program shows up daily in my confidence in working in a team environment and having to learn something challenging without having my hand held. Sometimes the best way to figure things out is by tackling things head on and applying it directly to real world challenges. I learned that mindset in the BBA.”
Learn more about the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA).