2025 ACE-WIL Student of the Year | College Co-op Student

The Association for Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning BC / Yukon is pleased to announce the recipients of the Co-op/WIL Student of the Year Awards. These awards recognize BC or Yukon students who demonstrate an outstanding level of achievement in their co-operative education or work-integrated learning experience; combined with a strong academic record, volunteer activities, and significant contributions to promoting co-operative education in their school and in the community.

College Co-op Student: Makayla Silvey

Camosun College

About Makayla Silvey

Makayla Silvey is a second-year Mechanical Engineering Technology student at Camosun College with a passion for hands-on problem-solving. She has completed a co-op work term with the Department of National Defense at the Fleet Maintenance Facility Cape Breton, where she supported inspections and provided technical documentation for submarine and surface ship mechanical systems. Makayla is recognized for academic excellence as a consistent Dean’s Honour Roll student and recipient of multiple awards. When asked about her experience at Camosun so far, she says she is “loving every minute of it!” Beyond academics, she is actively involved in student leadership through the Camosun Robotics and Automation Club and contributes to youth development as a Civilian Instructor with Army Cadets. She is driven to make a positive impact through engineering innovation, mentorship, and community engagement.

Quote from Makayla Silvey

“Makayla Silvey had an amazing time during her co-op student placement. One of her highlights was participating in marine machinery performance trials at sea aboard a frigate. The experience brought her confidence, strengthened her sense of belonging in mechanical engineering, and showed her that she can meaningfully contribute to an engineering team.”