Annika Khan manages to strike the right balance between career ambition and life enjoyment as she juggles three jobs and still finds time for family, friends and herself.
The young entrepreneur began her juggling act while still a student in the Sawyer Business School.
“I quickly became involved in multiple on-campus activities, and in order to fit it all in I had to adhere to a strict schedule,” says Khan, who earned a bachelor of science in business administration in 2009.
Family business
Time managing remains a constant factor for Khan, who helped her family open a restaurant during the same week that she received her degree.
As the bookkeeper for the 7th Wave Restaurant in Rockport, Massachusetts, Khan is honing her skills in small-business accounting and making financial projections.
“The most rewarding aspect of my job is helping my parents, who have helped me get where I am today,” she says.
Khan, always looking to seize an opportunity, recently purchased Custom Stitch, LLC, in partnership with her sister. The company specializes in customizing clothing, and Khan says that customer service is a key element in the sisters’ business philosophy.
Khan also works as a senior financial analyst for Liberty Mutual Group, a company she has been with since graduating from Suffolk University.
Eye-opening education
“Before going to Suffolk, I didn’t really know what opportunities awaited me in the real world,” she says. “My journey through Suffolk opened my eyes and allowed me the opportunity to explore options in corporate America as well as entrepreneurially.”
An important life lesson she took away from the Sawyer Business School: “I will never stop learning, even though I’ve completed my degree. There is still so much more to learn through doing.”
Staying connected
Despite her busy schedule, Kahn finds time for herself, family and friends.
“I just remind myself to take life one day at a time, and that it’s worth it to me right now to accomplish bigger things down the road,” she says.
Khan remains actively involved with the University, in part through her involvement in Suffolk Ventures, a new alumni group that connects current students with successful alumni in the workplace.
She shared her story with other young alumni who were recognized for achieving success in the workplace at a recent “Think Big, Dream Big” event, the first in a series presented by the Suffolk Alumni Association in partnership with the University’s Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education.