Graduation and Convocation

No more banging a drum all day

Rance Williams is living proof that the difference between success and mediocrity can have more to do with motivation than talent.

Rance Williams
MRU fall valedictorian Rance Williams.

And Williams has many talents.

But, when he started classes at Mount Royal in 2008, he lacked motivation.

Williams admits his studies took second place to his love for banging on a drum set. However, he quickly realized school would need to take the lead role.

"I found out my fiance and I were having a child, and the news sparked something inside of me to make the best of my education to benefit our future," he explains.

With that, this Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) student got down to business.

Williams immediately set the bar to the highest of standards, turning his education into "as many opportunities as possible."

In turn, he discovered the BBA program was just what he needed to ignite his passion for academia and open the door to his future.

Going above and beyond

"Rance looked beyond the classroom and he looked beyond the grades," recalls David Ohreen, assistant professor in the Department of General Education.

"He set the mark quite high in terms of his academic achievements while at the same time doing volunteer work and extracurricular activities. That is an absolutely amazing feat for any student to do."

As a member of the General Faculties Council (GFC oversees academic affairs and includes a range of faculty, students and staff), Williams wanted to put his classroom knowledge to work.

"I wanted to try something new, meet new people and get more involved on campus," Williams explains. "Through this, I discovered I enjoyed participating in governance."

Little did he know at the time, his interest in governance would also be of great value during the two years he served with the Students' Association of Mount Royal University (SAMRU).

Williams' role on SAMRU as Aboriginal Students Representative one year and Continuing Education Representative the other, allowed him to actively get involved in the restructuring of SAMRU's governance roles and definitions - something he feels is one of his greatest extracurricular accomplishments.

"[The first year] was based on a concept of clarification of specific roles for our councillors," says Williams.

"In the second year, I was able to return to council and resume work on the initiative and eventually, with the help of other councilors, see it through to completion."

Always looking forward

In every endeavor Williams took on, he asked himself, "what is my responsibility?"

He realized it's all about looking toward the future.

This type of thinking landed Williams a permanent position at Penn West Exploration as a Business Analyst - carrying out cost and production forecasts for the company's carbonates portfolio.

Mount Royal valedictorian, husband, father and Penn West employee, Williams strives to be an exceptional role model in any position.

"When you get involved in things you want to make a difference in, a lot of amazing opportunities come your way," says Williams, who is onto the next big step in his life.

"I now realize that when you discover your passions, it does't really seem like work."

- Angela Sengaus, Oct. 27, 2011