External award nominees 2023

Nicolas Bergeron, BCOM Accounting – Nominated for University Co-op

Nicolas is the quintessential student ambassador: an excellent student with strong grades, who also works part-time during his study terms and who doesn’t appear to have a spare moment in his hectic daily routine, yet always finds time to volunteer and support Co-op student life and empower his peers. He has mentored several co-op students, provided testimonials at co-op events and been integral in the creation of the Co-op Peer-to-Peer (P2P) program designed to bring all Co-op students together to network across disciplines, seek advice and inspiration and get tips. He practically has a daily presence with the P2P program.

Employer perspective
“…No intern has ever done this level in my 10-year career at Bombardier. He was at the same level of competency and knowledge as [an] experienced analyst in my team. Nicolas has also proposed himself to train the next interns. He created and improved all the procedures for the upcoming COOP cohort…Compared to the other students, Nicolas was way in advance by his IT skills, level of maturity and understanding of the accounting rules.”

In their own words
“Diversifying one’s Co-op experience as I did allows one to identify their own personal preferences as to their ideal work environment, which field and industry interests them, and if they prefer to work for a firm or for a company. This experience also fosters adaptability in students, and offers a strong head start when comes the time to graduate and enter the workforce. Now having completed all three Co-op internships and reflecting on all the benefits that these opportunities had to offer, I wish to give back as much as I can. This is ultimately the source of my strong commitment to participate in Co-op, whether it be through their events, the P2P program, as well as mentorship, in order to encourage other students to take advantage of these beneficial resources.”

Seyed Mohammad Reza Shobeiri, GRAD Mechanical Engineering – Nominated for University WIL

Seyed has overcome significant challenges throughout his degree, showing immense adaptability, focus, hard work, and commitment to quality. He has shown incredible dedication to WIL and his studies, while taking on multiple roles as a full-time student, working part-time and taking French courses to improve his ability to work within Quebec. He also has dedicated his free time to supporting other students on the benefits and importance of Co-op.

Employer perspective
“Seyed Mohammadreza has strong work ethics and is a mature professional. He manages professional situations with poise and a high level of integrity. He analyzes complex situations by breaking them down systemically, so stakeholders have a clear understanding of the issues and solutions. His eagerness to develop both personally and professionally make a valuable contributor to our organization.”

In their own words
“I am active on our community's social media group, and I shared a comprehensive experience that I had during all the stages of my internship from the beginning to the end. This familiarized a lot of students with the possibility of doing an internship, something that a lot of students are not aware of, and encouraged them to apply to the CO-OP institute.”

Nicolas Bergeron, BCOM Accounting

In their own words
“To me, the potential for significant growth is explored by students enrolling in Co-op and in work-integrated learning opportunities. This was the case in my experience, where my learning curve was greatly steeper once I had the chance to apply theoretical knowledge acquired in a classroom setting into a practical and professional environment.”

Michael Liang, MATH MACF

In their own words
"My internships allowed me to apply what I learned in the classroom to real-world situations and gave me hands-on experience with quantitative risk modeling and data analysis. For example, during an internship at National Bank Financial Markets, I developed and implemented a simulation to assess potential interest rate risks in the banking portfolio that helped senior management make more informed decisions during times of rising inflation. These experiences fueled my passion for finance and solidified my desire to pursue a career in the industry.”

Taylor Savelson, COMM MARK

In their own words
“When I decided to switch to marketing, the opportunity to join the Co-op institute was among my top reasons for doing so. I can confidently say that I am extremely proud to be an institute member. This is why I am devoted to continuously promoting the program to new students who I speak to whether at the open house, to any students I know applying to universities, and in general to my community.”

Belen Hernandez Hernandez, BIOL

In their own words
"When I first started working, my French vocabulary, confidence and practice were limited. Fortunately, my co-workers and volunteers were very supportive, helping me practice and become more confident in French at every opportunity. In my free time, I started listening to French music, watching original French television, and reading children's books so I could improve my skills day by day. Once I started, I couldn't stop learning!"

Yason Bedoshvili, SOEN ENG

In their own words
"In my opinion, perseverance is one of the most important qualities of a successful person.  That's why, throughout my life, I try to persevere in my studies.  Today, I am doing a second graduate degree in software engineering. I also obtained a degree in violin from the Université de Montréal. After graduating in music, I didn't see a career opportunity and decided to try my hand at programming. Even though these two specialties are very different, they have many similarities in terms of creativity."

John (Zhongtai) Zhang, COMM FINA

In their own words
“…at National Bank of Canada, I was able to push myself and network with people that I always thought would never meet with me, including the CEO of that time, and thanks to that, I have acquired the confidence to push myself every time and I even secured myself another internship with them for Investment Banking, which would mean a full year working with them…”

Created on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the YRH Foundation in 2017, this award is designed to encourage excellence in engineering by helping to attract, develop and retain students interested in the technologies and services associated with the wireless communications and telecommunications sector.

Raphael Salib: B.Eng, Electrical Engineering

Raphael Salib is a social, curious and open-minded student. Currently in his 2nd year of university, he first started at YRH as an intern for four months, then was awarded our award, while extending his internship for an additional four months. Approachable and friendly, he has been involved in his community in various ways over the past few years. Raphael's involvement in his projects makes a real difference and we would like to congratulate him for his contribution.