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Maxwell Evans (BComm'24) knew he wanted to come to Dalhousie University because of his family’s connection to Nova Scotia, but a last-minute decision to step away from family tradition to study commerce, has him on a path that’s all his own.

Evans grew up in Toronto and as a child visited Cherry Brook and East Preston communities where his grandmother lived and mother’s family was from, visits he has warm memories of. His mother, Annette Evans, a graduate of the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie (‘95), didn’t pressure him to do the same. But law is what he knew and thought he’d pursue, he explains. Prepared to start in arts, Evans says, “At the last minute, when I discovered Dalhousie’s business program, I just switched.”

Reached out to CEO on LinkedIn

Drawn to the flexibility of a commerce degree, Evans began with the goal of majoring in finance. But he says the finance classes were not the right fit for him and before his first co-op he decided marketing suited him much better. “This was the best major that I could take to fulfill my goals.”

After a co-op at Dalplex and another with a media buyer in Toronto, Evans read about the Kensington Grey Agency Inc. Inspired by their commitment to diversity and inclusion, he reached out to the CEO on LinkedIn. The head of Kensington, an influencer agency in Toronto that focuses on diversity campaigns, answered within hours.

We have great expectations for Evans

After working on a small project, he was offered a co-op position where Evans researched and created ideas for social media content, learning about outreach and relationship building. Nikita Billy, Director of Talent at Kensington Grey, took notice of Maxwell’s determination.

“I could tell right away he was very bright; he was eager to learn and wanted to challenge himself on the job,” says Billy.  

Evans says he knew immediately that the agency was the ‘kind of place to stay and settle down.’ “I really want to grow with KG; my priority right now is to develop and sharpen my professional skills.... Ideally, with that I will work my way up to become a Brand Partnership Manager or director! “

Billy and the Kensington Grey team have great expectations for Evans when he joins them after graduation. “I believe he's going to gain valuable experience and become even more confident — Maxwell will be able to hit the ground running in his new role,” says Billy.

Proudest achievement — Dalhousie Black Business Student Association

As for Nova Scotia, Evans isn’t leaving it behind. This past year he and a few of his friends took the initiative to establish the Dalhousie Black Business Student Association. They were motivated by ‘looking at a space that isn’t diverse' and trying to address that.

Even though he wishes he had more time to see it flourish, Evans says it’s one of his proudest achievements during his time in Dalhousie. He plans to come back, mentor its future members, and help them grow.

Dalhousie Black Business Student Association