Aileen Agada (BASc ’21) knows a thing or two about being creative when it comes to co-operative education funding opportunities. Now a Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) student, Agada is also the founder of BeBlended, an online platform that connects Black women with experienced hairstylists.
She launched the start-up as an engineering student after taking advantage of the Enterprise Co-op program, which allows students to start their own business while earning a credit.
“For me, the funding and support that I’ve received have been astronomical,” she says today from her home in Toronto. “With university and all the support, it really felt like they just believed and wanted to push me forward regardless of what the outcome would be. It was very encouraging.”
Now Agada is encouraged by what she’s heard about a new funding opportunity for co-op students–one that will likely have a positive impact on under-represented groups including women in STEM fields. The Faculty of Mathematics recently launched a brand-new Experiential Student Success Fund. Students can apply through the Office of the Association Dean of Co-op to receive up to $3,000 of additional financial support for a co-op term.
The First Co-op Support awards help first-year students struggling to land that all-important first co-op position by giving them extra flexibility. International students are also supported through International Student Support awards if they want to work in their home countries where local salaries are lower than those they would earn in Canada. Then there’s the Co-op for Social Good awards. They help students land positions in less traditional–yet equally rewarding–workplaces, like charitable organizations and non-profits. The new fund also opens doors to early-stage start-ups, which might normally be overlooked.
“We recognize that there are some situations where it’s an excellent experience for the student, but the employer for some reason may not be able to pay as much. They’ve got a need, but they just don’t have the funds to try to address that need,” says Lori Case, Associate Dean for Cooperative Education in the Faculty of Mathematics.
Students can start applying for funding this coming winter.
Opening career doors through co-op positions is particularly important for under-represented students, says Case. The jobs offer opportunities to build professional networks and the ability to work alongside role models with similar backgrounds.
“Mentors don’t have to be female if you’re female, but it certainly helps when you are actually able to see a little more of yourself at work,” she explains.
As for Agada, she sees the new fund as a gateway to employing more Waterloo co-op students in the future. She has already taken on a couple of students to support the five-employee team at BeBlended. They’ve helped out with everything from marketing to programming.
“With this fund, I would definitely be inclined to hire more, especially because I have a special place in my heart for Waterloo co-op students. They’re really good,” she says. “I know. I’ve been one of them.”
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