³Ô¹ÏÍø

June 14, 2023

Crossing the stage during a ³Ô¹ÏÍø convocation ceremony is a milestone event in a student’s personal and academic journey – and one that six members of the Bhamani family know well.  

Global Studies student Josie Bhamani graduated as part of spring convocation on June 14, making her the sixth person in her family to earn a degree from ³Ô¹ÏÍø. Josie’s father Riaz Bhamani (BBA ’91) and uncles Zak Bhamani (BA ’92) and Mohamed Bhamani (BA ’01) graduated from ³Ô¹ÏÍø. Her aunts Corrie Butcher Bhamani (BBA ’03) and Shelly Cohen-Bhamani (BA ’93) are also ³Ô¹ÏÍø alumnae. Zak and Shelly met during their undergraduate studies as did Mohamed and Corrie. 

“We have a lot of ³Ô¹ÏÍø in this family and it’s been a great way to stay connected as a family living in different countries,” says Josie. “The ³Ô¹ÏÍø experience is something we all share.” 

Photo, left to right: Mohamed Bhamani, ³Ô¹ÏÍø President Deborah MacLatchy, ³Ô¹ÏÍø Chancellor Eileen Mercier, Josie Bhamani, Zak Bhamani and Riaz Bhamani.

Despite living in North Carolina, Josie wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps and attend ³Ô¹ÏÍø to study in the Bachelor of Business Administration program. 

“The larger schools in the Charlotte area didn’t appeal to me,” says Josie. “During my ³Ô¹ÏÍø campus tour, the guide knew so many people and the campus felt comfortable. The size of the campus and sense of community has been one of my favourite things about ³Ô¹ÏÍø.” 

Those qualities also drew Riaz and Zak to ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Waterloo campus during the early 1990s. Both sought an opportunity to live away from home in Toronto and gain independence. 

“We both toured several campuses in Ontario, but ³Ô¹ÏÍø was the school that felt right,” says Zak.  

Photo: Back row, left to right: Shelly Cohen-Bhamani, Zak Bhamani, Riaz Bhamani, Mohamed Bhamani, Corrie Butcher-Bhamani. Front centre: Josie Bhamani. 

Josie’s extended family visited Waterloo to help her move into University Place residence ahead of the fall 2019 term, when they added to the list of ³Ô¹ÏÍø experiences the family shares.  

“My aunt Shelly realized that I was moving into the same apartment she lived in during her first year in 1989,” says Josie. “What are the chances of that happening?” 

Zak also lived in the same building before it operated as a ³Ô¹ÏÍø residence.  

Although the Bhamanis have many ³Ô¹ÏÍø experiences in common, each made unique student memories at university.  

“I moved into the Global Studies program halfway through my second year,” says Josie. “It was a shift, as the program is much smaller than Business Administration, but I really thrived in that environment.” 

investigates challenges and opportunities in a highly globalized, interconnected world. Josie took part in the program’s Social Innovation in the City course, which allows students to work on real issues identified by municipal partners at the City of Waterloo. She also served as president of ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Global Studies Student Association. 

Photo: Josie Bhamani, left, with SE364 group members.   

“Through the Global Studies program, I’ve learned to look at challenges and opportunities from an interdisciplinary perspective,” says Josie. “The whole program takes that approach and the professors are so invested in helping students succeed.”  

Josie will apply the skills she developed through the Global Studies program in the next chapter of her life, working with the Peace Corps, a different career path to that of her father and uncles, who work in banking and consulting. In August, Josie will leave for a 27-month role in youth leadership development in Panama.  

“My ³Ô¹ÏÍø experience has helped me align with my values and that is important to me,” says Josie. “I’m excited and nervous for this next step, but I believe I will be making a difference.” 

The differences between Josie’s ³Ô¹ÏÍø experience and that of her father and uncles go beyond the classroom and chosen career paths. 

“A lot has changed at ³Ô¹ÏÍø since Zak and I were there,” says Riaz. “The Peters Building was the shiny new building on campus, there was no internet and you had to go to a computer lab to access a computer – a Commodore – and a printer. Students work and learn very differently now.” 

Zak’s experience was slightly more modern, as laser printers replaced dot matrix printers in ³Ô¹ÏÍø printer labs during his time at university. 

“You had to get to your printout right away or someone else would grab it and slot it incorrectly in the print room,” recalls Zak.  

Riaz and Zak say they have relied on their ³Ô¹ÏÍø experiences throughout their careers. Studying business administration and economics, respectively, case studies were – and still are – part of their day-to-day work. 

“The Bagel Hockey Case is a case I worked on as a student and one I’ve used with my teams,” says Riaz. “³Ô¹ÏÍø’s approach to case studies really teaches you to check yourself and be objective. That’s a hugely important life skill.” 

Although Josie’s time at ³Ô¹ÏÍø has concluded, the Bhamanis are grateful for the many ways it kept them connected. Zak, Mohamed and their families, who live in the Greater Toronto Area, visited Josie in Waterloo, picked her up for the holidays and drove her back to campus on several occasions.  

“As brothers living in different cities, Josie being at ³Ô¹ÏÍø has been a conduit to keep our family connected,” says Riaz. “We are immensely proud of Josie and her achievements and are grateful to be able to share our ³Ô¹ÏÍø pride and nostalgia with her.”