On Thursday, March 30, Co-operative and Experiential Education (CEE) hosted the 2016 Co-op Student of the Year Awards at the Tatham Centre. Six students, one from each faculty, were recognized for their outstanding achievements in co-operative education. The event kicked off with speeches from President and Vice-Chancellor, Feridun Hamdullahpur, Associate Provost, Co-operative and Experiential Education, Peggy Jarvie and Vice-President Education for the Federation of Students, Sarah Wiley. After receiving their awards, the winners and honourable mentions joined the president for lunch at the University Club.
Among the award recipients was Applied Health Sciences student Pearl Zaki. “Co-op is what made me choose Waterloo, without a question. It is an absolute honor to have been chosen as the recipient of this award,” says Zaki. “University is a challenging experience, it is difficult to define yourself, to stand out when you are surrounded with so many other individuals each with their own exceptional talents. But, so far, in my three years at the University of Waterloo, I have found so many opportunities for exploration and growth.”
Baraa Hamodi, the Faculty of Engineering winner, shared similar sentiments in his acceptance speech. “I would like to thank the University of Waterloo and the co-operative education program that is offered here. The co-op program here is the best in the world, and it is an absolute honour to be a part of it,” said Hamodi.
Find out more about the achievements of the 2016 Co-op Students of the Year Award recipients in the individual profiles on each winner. Congratulations to all of this year’s winners!
