Savannah Carvalho

“Doing Co-op was the best decision I made as a student at Concordia.”

Savannah Carvalho opened doors for her future career by exploring different industries in her three Co-op internships. From transit infrastructure to interior decor to parliamentary affairs, Savannah’s journey led her to discover a passion for public transit and a path in urban planning after graduation.

Why Co-op?

I applied directly to the Co-op program because I wanted to jump right into the workforce to understand the world better and gain career experience. Doing Co-op was the best decision I made as a student at Concordia. The opportunity to get work experience while studying was extremely valuable and opened many doors for me.

How did Co-op affect your trajectory as a student?

My first Co-op internship at Infrastructure Canada redirected my long-term career, which was an invaluable experience. I supported the initial phases of the Canada Public Transit Fund to provide municipal and transit authorities more funding in their regions. Working on this project greatly impacted my life and now I want to pursue a Master of Urban Planning. I’ve realized the potential to increase public transit into something that serves everyone in society.

What was your second internship like?

I’m really happy as a Co-op student to be able to try out new job industries without needing to switch my entire career or educational path. For my second internship, I worked as a product design coordinator at Cozey, a Montreal-based company that makes modular sofas and interior decor. I had just finished my first urban planning internship and wondered if I was interested in pursuing architecture. It wasn’t a political science job, but a lot of the skills I had as a Political Science student were transferable. This internship gave me a better understanding if I truly did want to study architecture, to which the answer was no.

Did you have a favourite Co-op experience?

For my third internship I moved to Ottawa to work with the Privy Council Office, which is a department in the Government of Canada that supports ministers in their daily operations. The energy at the Privy Council Office was really exciting, and I never had the same two days in a row. I worked in the Parliament building several times, and it was genuinely inspiring to be part of the atmosphere. It felt like you were supporting democracy. Doing Co-op was the best decision I made as a student at Concordia because I felt so fulfilled by the experience.

How did you develop over your time in Co-op?

My Co-op internships helped my long-term development as a young professional. At my first internship, I had imposter syndrome and was scared to make mistakes. I was shy, didn’t always volunteer my opinions and always triple checked my work. But by the end of my Co-op experience, I felt comfortable in my work and was able to trust myself. I learned to believe in myself when starting anything new, especially a job.

Aside from Co-op, what other notable experiences did you have at Concordia?

I spent four months studying abroad in London. I’m from Montreal, so being in London taught me how to build a new support system for the first time. It was an important experience for me as a young person because I was able to grow and learn new life skills to manage on my own in a new country. I was able to live a different lifestyle and visit 11 different cities while I was abroad, which was really fun.

Want to complement your studies with working on campus? Check out our opportunities for student employment!