Last summer, science and business student Jessica Konzelmann got to experience the opportunity of a lifetime thanks to an innovative co-op initiative.
Jessica participated in the Ontario Global Edge (OGE) program, an initiative between the Ministry of Small Business and Consumer Services and Co-operative Education and Career Services at Waterloo. The program promotes international job opportunities for students within small businesses that illuminate the challenges and opportunities of these ventures in the international economy.
Through the OGE program, Jessica worked with Maintenance and Property Care and Industrial Solutions in Glasgow, Scotland.
This was a very exciting co-op term where I worked with students from Australia, China and all across Europe,” Jessica says. “It was nice to bring everything I’ve learned at Waterloo and apply it to companies on an international level.”
Jessica has also completed work terms with Petro Canada Customer Service and is currently working in Toronto with Redwood Strategic.
It is a great experience to be able to learn how a corporation works and how it is structured,” she says.
When she is not hard at work during her co-op terms, Jessica is an active member in the university community. She is the co-lead ambassador for the science and business program, which provides mentorship for first-year students and volunteers at campus faculty days.
Getting involved at Waterloo is a great opportunity to meet people,” she says. “You get to give back, make a positive impact and interact with people you wouldn’t have met otherwise.”
Upon graduation, Jessica would like to pursue a career in management consulting and eventually obtain her MBA.
I think a degree from Waterloo will give me a competitive edge in terms of getting a job after I am done school.”
