By Phoenix McDonald
This past January, Jessica Barch and Max McKee embarked on the first of many co-op terms. They began their journey as Communications and Marketing Associates for Co-operative Education (CE), and through this position, each student got more than they bargained for – in the best way possible.
Jessica, a second-year Arts and Business student majoring in Fine Arts, flexes her creativity and organizational skills by writing press releases, designing images, and helping plan events, such as the Co-op Students of the Year Awards. Meanwhile, Max, a second-year Environment and Business student expresses his wit and communication skills in weekly operational updates, in addition to updating websites, looking at analytics, and producing video content.
“Co-op at CE has surpassed every expectation that I had preconceived,” says Jessica. “I never thought I’d be getting so many responsibilities. Our supervisors trust our judgment.”
Max then adds, “Here you feel more like a member of a team than a student who is just working in and around a team. You feel just as much a part of it as a full-time employee who’s working right next to you.”
Despite this being their first work term, both Jessica and Max have had much success. They’ve been able to integrate themselves into the team with their optimistic and outgoing dispositions, engaging with full-time staff and fellow co-op students alike.
“This experience helps me to not just learn specific things but it helps me to think critically and understand how to be successful in a business work environment,” Max explains. “It definitely opened my eyes. I have more of an understanding of the bigger picture as to how marketing works and I know I’ll definitely be keeping a communications and marketing focus in the future.”
Going forward, Jessica and Max are excited to continue their co-op journey here at the University of Waterloo., They are confident they’ll continue to grow and be able to benefit from the skills and experiences acquired through working at CE.
“I realized I can handle a lot more than I originally thought I could, and I can handle it in a way that creates the best product possible,” reflects Jessica. “Now my organizational skills have skyrocketed and I’m confident. I’ve always wanted to go into a communications and marketing position, but now I understand what goes into it behind the scenes.”
Best of luck to both Jessica and Max in their future endeavors!
