Business honours graduate Andrea Yzeiri shaped her university experience and created her own opportunities through research work in the Outstanding Scholars and thesis programs. When starting in the Outstanding Scholars program, Andrea was eager to make the most of it-but didn't know whether or not research was for her. Partnering with Dr. Baki and spending 2 terms learning analysis techniques and conducting research related to the healthcare industry proved that it was indeed something she enjoyed and wanted to continue. Not only did Dr. Baki offer Andrea the opportunity to enter the thesis program, but he also gave her the reigns-she used tools she learned through the OS program to pursue her own topic of choice.
Andrea chose to write her thesis on a topic driven by personal motivation, entitled "Composite Index Creation using AHP (analytic hierarchy process) Efficiency Optimization for the Healthcare Industry". Andrea explained, "as a child with joint and health problems, I experienced first-hand the inefficiencies in the health care system and I knew there was an opportunity to fill the gaps." Despite an initial interest in going through with law school, Andrea's future plans have changed significantly. She is travelling to Brazil to conduct research related to SME (small and medium-sized enterprises) policies through a grant program and expects to eventually pursue a PhD. "I'm extremely thankful to have been part of these two programs," Andrea expressed, "it allowed me to turn my university experience into exactly what I wanted it to be."