Student panel wows the newcomers
It was a get-to-know-you opportunity for the new members of Concordia’s Institute for Co-operative Education last week and the one question on their minds was: “Did I make the right choice?”
By the end of the evening, the answer was clearly “yes.” Tony Petrozza, administrative assistant for the John Molson School of Business (JMSB) co-op programs overheard a student say, “I wasn’t sure if I made the right choice, but after I heard the students speak, I know I did.”
Gerry Hughes, Director of the Institute for Co-operative Education, kicked off the evening by telling the students: “Our objective tonight is to provide all of you new co-op students with a good start. We will be with you every step of the way along this fascinating journey to your graduation. Our commitment is to work hard with you, and to challenge, motivate, encourage, coach and support you as you acquire the experience, knowledge and capabilities you seek.”
Later, during the discussion panel, senior students shared their co-op experiences. “One of the reasons I joined was because it helped get me on the right career path,” said Gohar Ali, now in his final year of mechanical engineering. There were challenges and he said he almost quit the program, but in the end he landed a work term in Facilities Management at Concordia, where he was in charge of placing three major artworks in the basement of the John Molson School of Business Building. He also trained other co-op students. “Co-op has given me the tools to stand out,” he said.
Management information systems student Rene Charbonneau worked with a million-dollar project budget on the Specialty Mobile team at Air Canada. He helped create a mobile booking application that allows people to check in for their flights from their phones. He later applied for a special internship at The Washington Centre in the U.S. “Working with a $5,000 budget in a not-for-profit environment, I learned more than I could have ever imagined,” he said. “Get drawn into networking and you make opportunities for yourself. Knowing yourself and what you want to do is important.”
Other students on the panel echoed these experiences and learning opportunities. Ayman Kawtharani, co-op alumnus, who now works full time at BCA, an independent provider of global macroeconomic research and investment strategy advice, told the students: “Persistent hard work and humility will get you to good places.”
Co-op can be hard work with an arduous on-and-off work/study schedule but many, such as Marie-Michelle Plante, agreed that it pays off. “I started small, got to experience everything, even learning how to do communication plans. Co-op is about learning from everything you’re trying.”
Related links:
• Institute for Co-operative Education
• Co-op student showcase video
• Artwork in the John Molson School of Business Building
• The Washington Center