Cody Esih, Bachelor of Commerce ’16, started building his career while he was still a MacEwan student. Now a sessional instructor in the Department of Decision Sciences, he’s helping the next generation of students uncover their own passions – sometimes in the very same classrooms and labs that he himself learned in.

The 2025 Sessional Instructor Teaching Award recipient says he enjoys having students come chat with him, and the conversation doesn’t always have to be about the work they’re doing in his class. 

“Part of the reason why I value office hours is because I know that I really enjoyed them and found them useful when I was a student,” he says. “I usually have a pretty casual relationship with students and I like that they feel comfortable coming to talk to me – whether for help on assignments or readings, and career prospects.”

Esih says he regularly has more than one student show up to office hours at the same time, and rather than making someone wait, he encourages students to have a larger conversation. The practice, he says, mirrors the open environment in his classroom, and helps students to build community with each other while getting help with their questions around coursework.

Welcome to the lab

“Halfway through my degree, I started teaching as a lab assistant for statistics courses, and this is one of the main classes where we do that,” he explains. “Sometimes I just come hang in the lab if no one's in it, because it's quiet and there's no other instructors or students around. This classroom in particular is like home. I'm always comfortable here.”

Currently, he’s the lab coordinator for his department in addition to his duties as a sessional instructor, which means he trains students to teach labs, just like he was taught during his undergrad studies.

“If you had asked me nine years ago if I was going to be a teacher in the future, I would have said absolutely not,” says Esih. “But my experience as a lab assistant showed me that I very much enjoy teaching, and found out how rewarding it is,” says Esih.

Over his time at MacEwan, he’s made lasting relationships with peers, students and even students who have become peers.

“I get to work with and train the cream of the crop in the business program – many of them have gone on to be lawyers, one became a doctor and there are a couple who are also sessional instructors at MacEwan,” he says. “One of the tutors I trained is even in my department, teaching intro to quantitative decisions courses.”

What does it mean to have your students and peers nominate you for this award?

“It's pretty humbling, to be honest,” says Esih. “When I was a student here at MacEwan, I had really great instructors who taught me a lot. So it's cool to be in a position where now I can give back to the students what MacEwan gave to me.”