I had the opportunity to speak with Ellie Rebarbar, a fourth‑year business student at York University’s Schulich School of Business.
Ellie spoke to me about her diverse career journey, which includes experience in retail, consulting, student clubs at York and more! She also discussed her interests, leadership, accessibility advocacy and her excitement for learning in an evolving professional landscape.
Introducing Ellie
Ellie is in her final year of a Bachelor of Business Administration at the Schulich School of Business. She is specializing in strategic management, with interests in marketing and analytics. Outside of academics and work, Ellie enjoys taking care of her mental and physical well‑being by reading self-development books and spending time at the gym.
Ellie’s professional journey
Ellie entered university knowing she wanted collaborative, problem‑solving work that challenged her analytically. Her career began at the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, where she experienced teamwork in a large organization. She moved to the retail and fashion industry in her next role at TJX, where she learned about inventory forecasting and strategic planning.
After that, an internship at KPMG solidified her interest in roles at the intersection of health care and data. Ellie then joined Haleon, where had the opportunity to work on iconic brands like Advil and Sensodyne, enjoying the challenge of translating complex data into actionable retail strategies.
It was incredibly rewarding seeing projects I helped execute come to life on store shelves.”
Lastly, Ellie currently works in a York University Work/Study role in Marketing and Communications with the Division of Students, contributing to initiatives like National AccessAbility Week.
How Schulich shaped her interests
Ellie credits Schulich’s broad curriculum for exposing her to different areas of business. While coursework sparked her interests, internships helped her understand how those concepts translate into real‑world settings. Through hands‑on roles, Ellie discovered which skills she enjoyed using and which environments suited her best.
A “career explorer” mindset
The most unique part of Ellie’s career development is how she intentionally pursued internships across various industries to better understand her interests and strengths. By exploring retail, CPG, consulting and academia, she gained understanding on the environments that she thrives in.
I’ve learned that the most reliable way to gauge your interest in a field is to get hands-on experience and see how it aligns with your strengths in practice.”
This exploration helped her identify what energizes her, her natural strengths and opportunities to grow.
Her Work/Study experience on National AccessAbility Week
Ellie explains how many people assume that disabilities are just physical, but invisible disabilities (learning disabilities, anxiety, etc.) are equally important. Through her work on this project, she learned that accessibility must be built into website design, event planning and even communication materials.
She emphasizes:
You don’t need to have a disability to be an ally or to participate in accessibility initiatives.”
What advocating for accessibility look like in professional environments
In her leadership and team experience, Ellie tries to create safe spaces by offering support, understanding members' communication styles and valuing diversity of thought. She highlighted the importance of recognizing invisible disabilities and that not everyone is comfortable sharing if they may need extra support. Ellie believes accessible teams are built through empathy, awareness and intentional communication.
Advice for students
Ellie encourages students to get involved early and often, particularly through clubs at York, which help you build technical and teamwork skills. She also recommends using York’s location to its full advantage by attending Toronto-based networking events, and believes reaching out to people in various fields for coffee chats helps you understand real job responsibilities.
Ellie's most memorable piece of advice:
You learn from doing.”
Ellie brought an honest and informative perspective to career exploration and the value of trying new roles across different business functions and industries. My favourite part was her enthusiasm for learning by doing!