School of Business

If it is true that a healthy body equals a healthy mind, then it may also be true that a disciplined body equals a disciplined mind. For discipline is just what BBA accounting student Corey Cadeau exhibits in his athletics and academics. And it is his ability to bring discipline to bear on the field and in the classroom that has nabbed him the biggest business scholarship prize in Atlantic Canada, a prestigious Frank H. Sobey Award for Excellence in Business Studies. "It's renown," Corey says of the award. "And it’s an honour that I would not have been able to achieve without the support of my family, friends and mentors."

n a way, Corey has been preparing for this honour his entire life. He was engaged in entrepreneurial pursuits at a very young age, and was certainly conversant with the basic logic of financial records long before he came to Acadia to study accounting. In fact, he was once recognized as one of the youngest registered business owners in Nova Scotia with "Corey's Workshop," which specialized in routed wood signs for local individuals and businesses. For people who are so impressed, perhaps viewing the world as a business opportunity comes naturally. In Corey’s case, he can look at his scratching in a revenue-and-expenses ledger at a young age as evidence that he was destined for a career in business.

Corey’s early step up to a larger business world came when he joined the family business where he learned accounting from the ground up. When he came to Acadia, he became a BBA/Accounting student (naturally) and applied for a job in the University’s Financial Services Office. He’s been employed in that position for the last three and a half years. Rod Llewellyn, manager of Financial Services, said that Corey’s "comprehension of business and accounting processes was well beyond his years." He has collected similar accolades from his managerial supervisors Mary McVicar and Verne Meister, whom Corey acknowledges as mentors. "hey’ve really helped me grow. They know I love to ask questions. And they’ve heard enough of them by now that they’re probably excited to see me graduate!" Corey’s self-deprecation aside, he acknowledges all three as mentors as well as friends.

And as for asking questions, that habit gets him high marks in the classroom, where students tend to not ask enough. Accounting professor Pat Corkum says that "Corey is an exceptional student, athlete, and entrepreneur who embodies the precept, ‘whatever you do, do it well.’ His enthusiasm, passion for life, and support of others is inspiring." Professor Corkum has been a pivotal figure for Corey at Acadia University. "I met with her to talk about my career path, if I was doing co-op or not, and other big life decisions. She’s left a huge impression on me. It’s kind of cool to say that she is also a friend, even though she’s a professor. Most university students don’t see those as synonyms."

Outside of the classroom, and off the soccer field, Corey has volunteered with the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Run for the Cure, and helped a local foundation to support the Alzheimer’s Society of Nova Scotia and Shoreham Village. He has also been a youth soccer coach during his undergraduate years at Acadia. And how do athletes accomplish so much in community, school, work, as well as sport? "I find when I’m in season I’m more focused because I need to have a plan. And to fit everything into my schedule I must budget my time. When I’m busy I’m more efficient."

Which brings us to a rather unusual series of coincidences. For the second year in a row, a soccer player from the same team, a business student studying accounting as a major, who is a Dean’s List scholar, and a CIS Academic All-Canadian, has won the prestigious Frank H. Sobey Award for Excellence in Business Studies. Head coach Findlay McRae is nonchalant about two of his players registering as top business students in the Atlantic region in as many years. "We have a strong record of academic and athletic achievement with the soccer team, as well as recruiting and developing great young leaders," he says. "Corey is following in the big footsteps of Andrew Snyder, but Corey has excelled as a key player and leader on our team. It is not a surprise that he has achieved these significant academic accomplishments."

Does Corey have any advice for students who want to follow in his footsteps? "Get involved," he says. "Get involved in the community or with clubs and programs like S.M.I.L.E. For me, it was always my love of soccer that allowed me to give back, so I would volunteer to coach. But you might get involved by simply helping students in the classroom. That’s how you build relationships, and from relationships come opportunities."