Grad to Watch 2026: Fiza Kaleem aims to inspire

Fiza Kaleem is the first to admit that her time at Sheridan unlocked both her academic and personal growth.  As a Bachelor of Business Administration – Finance student, she took on leadership roles inside and outside the classroom. She founded the Finance Club and was named as Sheridan’s first Student Ambassador by the investment-professional's association, CFA Society Toronto. She also launched the College’s first investment contest, won co-op Student of the Year Award at the College, provincial and national levels and is a 2026 valedictorian for the Pilon School of Business.

What would you say is the highlight of your time at Sheridan? Is there any one thing you're particularly proud of?

One of the biggest highlights was receiving three Co-op Student of the Year awards. I’m especially proud of these achievements because if you had told the version of me who arrived at Sheridan three years ago as an international student from a completely different cultural and academic background that I would have achieved this, I would never have believed it.

My first year was filled with uncertainty, indecisiveness, and a lot of struggle. Everything began to change toward the end of my second year when I started taking initiative. I pushed myself to do everything I was once scared of – public speaking, networking externally, participating in competitions, and even founding a whole academic club. Instead of waiting for opportunities to come to me, I learned how to create them for myself.

You had the opportunity to work on some really interesting projects during your co-op position. How did that experience help set you up for success?

During my co-op at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts I had the opportunity to work on the OneStream migration project, one of the biggest finance transformation projects in the company’s history. I worked with the Finance team to help map property and cost codes into the new system and make sure accurate financial and budgeting information was maintained across 400+ global programs.

What made the project especially interesting was how complex the budgeting and allocation logic could get since every property and funded program operated a little differently. A lot of the work required understanding those unique patterns and helping fit them into a completely new system. I also worked alongside senior directors and user-acceptance teams on migration support, system testing, validations, and audits, which gave me a real look into how large-scale financial systems are implemented behind the scenes.

“I pushed myself to do everything I was once scared of – public speaking, networking externally, participating in competitions, and even founding a whole academic club. Instead of waiting for opportunities to come to me, I learned how to create them for myself.”

What's one thing from the co-op placement that you'll take with you into the future?

One of the biggest things I’ll take with me is that performing well is important, but learning how to speak up, contribute in meetings, and build relationships is equally valuable. I realized that in large professional environments, your work matters, but so does making your voice heard. Those conversations helped me grow both professionally and personally. That's something I’ll carry with me throughout my career

What’s your advice for first year students? What do you wish you’d known when you started at Sheridan?

First of all, don’t be scared. You have so much time to grow, learn, and completely reinvent yourself over the next few years. Try everything, even if it doesn’t make sense at first. Join that club, attend that networking event, start conversations in rooms that intimidate you, volunteer to speak even if your voice shakes, and build projects you don’t feel fully ready for yet. Don’t wait until you feel ‘perfect’ to start.

There will be moments when no one fully understands your vision, and you may feel embarrassed for caring or trying harder than everyone else around you. Don’t give up during that stage. Most meaningful things look awkward before they start making sense to other people.

Also, never underestimate the value of maintaining strong relationships with your professors, staying focused on your grades, and making your voice heard in class. You’ll be surprised how much your life can change in just three years.

What’s next for you?

I’m transitioning into a bigger role at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts where I’ll be working on a completely different side of the project, which I’m really excited about. I’m also planning to pursue my CFA Level while continuing to volunteer with the CFA Society Toronto. And I’m finally going to get back into hobbies like reading and painting too.