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Meet Our Students: Celebrating Success Stories – Ananya Juneja

By Diana Corredor
In our Meet Our Students: Celebrating Success Stories series, we are proud to highlight students whose journeys reflect resilience, curiosity, and purpose. This edition features Ananya Juneja, a Finance student whose path at Western University began with a leap of faith and has since grown into a story of discovery and impact.

Juneja’s university journey did not follow the most expected route. Initially committed to a university near home, she made a bold decision to change course after connecting with Western students who spoke about the sense of belonging they felt on campus. “Western is the kind of place that reminds you that you belong, even when you don’t feel like you do,” one alum shared with her. That message resonated deeply, leading Juneja to take a risk, leave behind what felt safe, and move across the country. “It turned out to be the best decision I’ve ever made,” she reflects.

At first, Juneja enrolled in BMOS, the direction that seemed expected of her. But everything changed after taking her first Economics course with Ms. Vu. “I didn’t feel like I was memorizing for a test anymore,” she says. “Economics showed up in the real world. Budgeting felt like trade-offs, and conversations about inflation made sense.” This spark of curiosity led her to switch into Economics and Finance, a choice that has shaped her academic and professional growth ever since.

Curiosity has also defined her extracurricular involvement. Juneja immersed herself in opportunities across campus, from the Western Investment Club to Ivey FinTech, Emerald Advisors, and 180 Degrees Consulting. Each experience expanded her skill set, from analyzing investments to supporting nonprofits and working on cross-border startup strategy. She also gained hands-on experience with two search funds, Paradosi Partners and Capital Red Holdings, deepening her knowledge of sourcing and due diligence.

But Juneja’s journey has always been about more than building a résumé. In Vancouver, she founded Colors of Age, a program that connected children with seniors through art and conversation. “I remember sitting beside a senior with paint-stained hands and realizing, this matters,” she recalls. The experience revealed an important truth: programs that make the greatest difference often struggle the most with funding. This insight sparked her interest in impact investing—a space where finance meets meaning.

This past summer, Juneja was selected as an Associate at Propel Impact Fund, a $500,000 student-run fund that invests in early-stage ventures creating real change. “It felt like a full-circle moment,” she says. “For the first time, I could use financial strategy to support the kinds of initiatives that inspired me in the first place.”

Reflecting on her time at Western, Juneja highlights the Faculty of Social Science as a place that encourages exploration, growth, and community. “I’ve changed programs, changed my mind, and asked for help more times than I can count,” she says. “But I’ve never once felt judged for it. That’s what Western gave me—the space to figure things out while being surrounded by people who genuinely want to see you succeed.”

Her advice to future students is simple but profound: “Talk to people. Be curious. And trust your gut. Sometimes the best decisions are the ones that don’t make sense to anyone else—yet.”

If you want to share your own story or know someone who should be featured, please reach out to us!