As a Co-op student, Konica got the opportunity to try her hand at a number of different approaches to conflict. After spending a term working as a Tax Administrator with Manulife Financial, and a term as a Health Promotion Assistant with the Heart & Stroke Foundation, Konica found her favourite experience was her final Co-op experience. Working in Ottawa as a Junior Policy Analyst, Konica researched women’s homelessness and was inspired by her work to do more. Konica and one of her Co-op partners decided to take the information they were learning and experience more first hand. On their own, they began volunteering at a Shelter in Ottawa, holding life-skills and internet literacy workshops for homeless individuals.
“I was getting paid to do something I was so interested in already. It was really eye opening. Having that practical component and work in a shelter with people with lived experience really helped me to start to see some of the problems that exist and begin thinking about them, mainly the issue of lack of access to justice. I started to see all the gaps in the system because of Co-op, because I was out meeting people and able to see them in real life. I knew that coming into undergrad that I was interested in going into the legal field, but Co-op really confirmed it for me.”
Like many students coming to University, Konica came to the University of Waterloo with a lot of passion and just needed help finding a track in which to channel that passion.
“One thing I always really loved about the PACS program was being able to have that lived experience, and now having direction. I was able to craft my own degree, take the courses that were interesting to me because PACS has such a broad range. It helped me to figure out what courses I want to take, what I want to do with my summers, and what I want to do with my legal degree.”
After a summer of travelling Konica is now finishing her first year of law school at the University of Ottawa, and has no plans to slow down any time soon!