avo

Avo Kaasik, Bachelor Class of 2000
Aasa Marta Kaasik, Bachelor Class of 2022

Avo Kaasik turned 50 this year, and together with his daughter Aasa Marta, he fondly reflects on their time studying at SSE Riga:

"I studied on the Åland Islands between 1993 and 1997 and tried to get into SSE in Stockholm in 1997. They told me they no longer admitted new students from the Baltics as they had just opened a new school in Riga. I took the exams and was accepted! I graduated in 2000 with a BSc degree. I remember that my graduation ceremony and party were special because just five days earlier, our first child, Aasa Marta, was born. How happy can one be! Comparing my study times to when Aasa Marta studied, I’d say we had more social interaction back then. We knew all the pubs, bars, and nightclubs in Riga. But we also studied hard.

When it was time for Aasa Marta to choose a university, both I and another Estonian alumnus, Martin Hoolma, suggested SSE Riga. We shared all our fun memories of school and studies, and slowly convinced Aasa to apply there. Since she wasn’t sure what to study, SSE Riga was a great choice because even if you end up wanting to study something else later, you still get an excellent education in business and economics. Aasa Marta graduated from SSE Riga in June 2022. Her studies were different from mine as the years 2020–2021 were affected by Covid. Lectures were given online, and students couldn’t meet each other. Working online is common now, and that experience certainly helped Aasa Marta prepare for it. As a father, I am very proud of Aasa Marta for graduating from SSE Riga and for her achievements in her work and life.

SSE Riga has taught us both how to stay humble and be prepared on time. To be responsible, curious, and find solutions. We know how difficult the studies are at SSE Riga, and that bond has brought us even closer.

Now that we are both alumni of SSE Riga, we can attend the Homecoming event and party with our respective coursemates."

zanda

Zanda Arnava, Executive MBA Class of 2018
Dārta Dozberga, Bachelor Class of 2017

Dārta was the first to start her studies at SSE Riga when she enrolled in the Bachelor’s programme in 2014. After observing Dārta embark on her higher education journey at SSE Riga and seeing her experiences, Zanda felt inspired to apply for the EMBA program the following year, in 2015, and was also accepted.

It was a fun and exciting experience to go through the study process together in the same university at the same time, but in different programmes. We could compare our curriculums and note how some subjects overlapped, while others had very different course materials.

For both of us, the time spent at SSE Riga was at times challenging, but always rewarding and valuable.

gunita

Gunita Ķiesnere, Executive MBA Class of 2015
Anna Marija Ķiesnere, Bachelor Class of 2016

It must be a very exciting feeling for a mother and daughter to start their studies in the same year.

Gunita and Anna both started their studies at SSE Riga at the same time, back in August 2013. While Gunita began her 2-year Executive MBA programme, Anna started her 3-year Bachelor's, giving their family the unique opportunity to attend the same graduation ceremony two years in a row.

Anna mentions strong work discipline as one of the biggest takeaways from her studies but emphasizes the power of networking: "It all started with a short conversation in the library, which led to a job in the startup sector. Everything after that has been a coherent series of events that successfully brought me to where I am today." Anna is currently the Business Development and Regional Client Experience Manager at Sorainen. Since graduation, she has also earned a Master of Science in Corporate Communication from the University of Amsterdam.

After serving as VP of Human Resources at Fazer and Director of Retail Operations and Production, as well as Human Resources at Maxima, Gunita is now the Group Head of People at Food Union. Reflecting on her studies, she highlights the program's focus on strategic and holistic thinking: "The studies, and more importantly, my peers, equipped me with the tools and insights to take on more complex leadership roles, helping me drive change and growth in organizations."

Now, over 11 years later, they continue embarking on adventures together, the latest being a brief hike from Dubulti to Kolka.