Media

Michael Litt (BASc ’11) and Devon Galloway (BASc ’10), cofounders of video sharing app Vidyard, credit their success to the hands-on skillset they gained from co-op. With Vidyard now having over 12 million users, the founders have started a venture capital firm to invest in new talent and support the next generation of innovators.

Esteban Veintimilla (BMath ’18, MBET ’22), a University of Waterloo alum and co-founder of 1Mentor, believes his platform provides critical data on student interests and program comparison to the job market. Using AI, the platform also helps students explore career paths and identifies upskilling opportunities to prepare for their desired jobs.

Co-operative education at the University of Waterloo was built in from the very beginning. That strong foundation has allowed us to not only build the program we have today with more than 25,000 students and 7,500 employers, but build opportunities beyond co-op for our students. They learn how to navigate the hiring process, applying their skills to real-life problems and learning about themselves along the way, ultimately preparing them for the future of work. Hear Dr. Norah McRae talk about how it all started, where we are today and the path forward.

When The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario was overcapacity with children battling illnesses in November, two University Waterloo Pharmacy students, who were already in Ottawa for their co-op positions, stepped up to help. Parsa Ali and Duaa Osman brought an “injection of energy” to the hospital during a tough time.

As long-time members of Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE), Scott (BES ‘84, MA ‘88) and Linda (BA ‘81) Davis both know the importance of work-integrated learning at the University of Waterloo. As a testament to that importance, the Davises have committed $5,000 to the Co-op for Community program through the Co-operative and Experiential Education Fund.