Exceptional supervision in action
By Micaela Kelly
Exceptional supervisors show that supporting students leads to clear business results.
The 2026 Employer Impact Award for Exceptional Supervision recognizes leaders in health care, manufacturing and technology who bring this vision to life. These supervisors show that when they trust, support and give meaningful work, students make a real difference for the organization.
The Work-Learn Institute’s 4C model outlines what exceptional supervision looks like in practice:
- Communicate clearly and often.
- Connect students to the organization.
- Care about the person behind the role.
- Create meaningful, outcome-driven work.
CEE recognized the following incredible supervisors who put these principles into action. They empower students to grow and see the impact that growth creates.
Meet this year's winner
Dr. Edward Chow, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Dr. Edward Chow, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Dr. Chow’s approach embodies all four Cs, as he:
- Creates meaningful work through clinical research and gives students the opportunity to work directly with patients.
- Communicates through structured mentorship and rigorous feedback.
- Connects students to global research networks, including providing them opportunities to present at global conferences.
- Cares deeply about students’ long-term growth and helps them achieve their goals.
His students are not observers; they are researchers, contributors and emerging leaders.
Under [Dr. Chow's] mentorship, I authored over six first-author publications, significantly strengthening my medical school applications.
“For me, supervising co-op students is both a professional responsibility and a profound opportunity to nurture them,” says Chow.
Top tip: Trust students with real responsibility early, then support them as they take on the challenge.
Meet this year's honourable mentions
Meghan LaCoste, Compass Data and AI
LaCoste provides exceptional mentorship, as she:
- Creates high-impact work by embedding students in strategic artificial intelligence projects.
- Communicates through consistent one-on-ones that provide opportunities to cover technical and skills development, long-term growth and broader career or organizational questions.
- Connects students to other teams and leadership for cross-collaboration and networking.
- Cares by learning about students’ personal goals and aligning their work to long-term aspirations.
Meghan LaCoste, Compass Data and AI
Students that LaCoste supervises contribute at a level far beyond typical co-op roles.
“I was given ownership of work typically handled at a more senior level, which significantly accelerated my learning and broadened my capabilities,” says Vedansh Kokra (BCS ’26).
“Developing co-op students is both a professional priority and a personal passion,” notes LaCoste.
Top tip: Treat students like full contributors, and they will perform at that level.
Terese Dimeck, Nicoya Lifesciences Inc.
Terese Dimeck, Nicoya Lifesciences Inc.
Dimeck integrates the 4Cs, as she:
- Creates meaningful work that aligns with student goals, helping them chart their own path.
- Communicates intentionally with regular check-ins and ongoing support.
- Connects students to business context and leadership so they understand their impact.
- Cares through providing flexibility, mentorship and long-term career support.
“What meant the most to me was that Terese treated me as an equal. She respected my input, trusted my judgment and created an environment where I could contribute fully,” notes Noura Abdelrazen, Faculty of Engineering co-op student.
“My philosophy is built on a ‘mentorship is a high-yield investment’ mentality,” says Dimeck.
Top tip: Invest early to understand the student, then tailor the experience to unlock their potential.
Abdulla Qeblawi, Geotab Inc.
Qeblawi builds all four Cs into his structure, as he:
- Creates opportunity for students to build real production features.
- Communicates through regular two-way feedback and collaborative brainstorming.
- Connects students across teams and initiatives for a broader understanding of the work and organization.
- Cares for students through intentional development planning with opportunities to develop new skills.
Abdulla Qeblawi, Geotab Inc.
The result? Students who deliver meaningful technical output at scale.
“He focused on not simply giving me the easiest task but giving me meaningful and impactful tickets that were deployed to production,” says Michael Hana, Faculty of Mathematics co-op student.
“Developing student talent matters because these interns become your strongest future hires,” emphasizes Qeblawi.
Top tip: Show students that their work is important to the organization and the value they add.
Jason Bailey-Rice, Miovision Technologies Incorporated
Jason Bailey-Rice, Miovision Technologies Incorporated
Bailey-Rice’s supervision focuses on treating students as team members, as he:
- Creates ownership through real projects, which students follow from inception to execution.
- Communicates through regular check-ins and coaching, helping students to gain confidence.
- Connects students across teams and operations for expanded opportunities to network and cross-train.
- Cares by actively investing in their growth and independence, helping students reach their long-term goals.
“He trusted me like a full-time engineer, giving me ownership of difficult projects because he believed I could deliver,” details Chris Burca, Faculty of Engineering co-op student.
“At our core, we believe developing student talent is about recognizing the immense wealth and breadth of knowledge they bring to our team,” says Bailey-Rice.
Top tip: If you give students ownership within your day-to-day operations, they will take the lead on impactful change.
The big picture
When supervisors lead with intention and invest in student growth, students don’t just participate; they deliver measurable results for your organization!