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 for 2021. 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.
Co-op University
Carly Pistawka, UBC
Carly Pistawka, 22, is a fourth year undergraduate student in the joint UBC-BCIT honours in Biotechnology program. As a physically disabled student with chronic pain, Carly is passionate about pain research and clinical treatment approaches. Through research on her own condition, Carly found Dr. Caroline MacCallum, a physician specializing in medical cannabis, whose interests also included chronic and complex pain. During her 8-month co-op opportunity with Dr. MacCallum, she has worked on projects, presentations, and publications involving cannabis product safety, neurocognitive impairment, special populations, and opioid-cannabis synergy in chronic pain patients. Carly hopes to pursue genetic counseling or clinical research in pain after her bachelor’s degree.
WIL University
Gurleen Cheema, UBC
Gurleen Cheema is a student at the University of British Columbia and a current Research Assistant for the Punjabi in BC Project at UBC. She joined this project as a means of connecting with her own community and understanding the importance of oral histories as a community-based research methodology. As an aspiring healthcare worker who aims to advocate for the needs of the Punjabi community, involvement in this project has shaped her understanding of the common structural barriers faced by Punjabi-Canadians. By continuing to work for the Punjabi in BC project, Gurleen hopes to help contribute to a more holistic representation of Punjabi-Canadian history.
Co-op College
Matthew Hicks, Camosun College
Matthew Hicks is a second-year Arts and Psychology student at Camosun College, where he works to develop his social sciences skills in pursuit of becoming a Social Worker. Having left a successful career as an electrician due to a workplace injury, he has spent the last two years studying and participating in a cooperative experience with the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. During this time, he found the opportunity to share his lived experiences and education with the Ministry and his fellow students. Through live presentations related to bias, informational interviews with the BEST program, and the development of a blog for BC Public Service, he was able to shine a light on the importance of the cooperative program, the benefits of a work term with the Ministry, and towards the importance of having a deeper understanding of our thought processes in working with clients facing barriers.
WIL College
Madeleine Beach, Camosun College
Madeleine is currently halfway through her 8-month Marketing Coordinator internship with Shift at Redbrick. Over these past few months, she has had the opportunity to work with an innovative, hard-working, and dynamic group of people. Shift has encouraged her to be authentic, take risks, ask questions, and challenge herself. Madeleine’s favorite part about her internship with Shift is that they provided her with a supportive space to wear many different hats, allowing her to develop skills in a wide variety of marketing practices. From design, social media, campaigns, partnerships, affiliate marketing, email advertising, and writing blogs, she has been given the opportunity to try it all and discover new capacities. She was able to grow Shift’s affiliate marketing program by over 1000%, and her blog posts views by over 200% in only four months.
Honourable Mentions
Co-op University: Ocean Han, UVic
Ocean joined the Biochemistry and Microbiology Co-op Program with an 8.96/9.00 GPA cumulative average. Ocean chose to major in biochemistry with a minor in physics to nurture his interdisciplinary interests in biology, chemistry, math, and physics. Through the co-op program, Ocean has had multiple research experiences, most recently, in a medical physics lab at the University of Victoria, studying the applications of nanotechnology in cancer therapy. Ocean’s diligence resulted in outstanding success over his four-month work term and the transformative experience has helped to him to find a way to focus his talents, pointing towards a bright future working on a combined MD/PhD degree and service as a clinician scientist. In his spare time, Ocean loves Marvel movies, plays piano, and teaches first-year human anatomy as a lab volunteer.
Co-op College: Mikayla Haynes, Langara
Mikayla is a recent graduate of Langara College, receiving her Bachelors of Business Administration (Co-operative Education) with distinction. During her time at Langara, Mikayla completed four co-op terms, two back-to-back terms at the Government of Canada as a Student Procurement Officer, a term at Accenture as a Consulting Summer Analyst, and her final term at Flipp (a retail technology company) as a Strategic Planning Analyst. Along the way, Mikayla has gained various new skills and abilities that she is excited to take with her as she starts her new role at Accenture in March. Mikayla’s overall career goal is to become a c-suite executive working to bring positive change and energy to the companies and industries she is a part of.
WIL University: Danielle Lowe, UVic
Danielle is in her final year of the UVic BCom program where she is specializing in entrepreneurship and service management. She is inspired by innovative companies that prioritize consumer wellbeing and the environment. Danielle is dedicated, curious, and ambitious.
Combining her love for dogs, sustainability, and business development during her co-op work term, Danielle started Doodlebug Pet Food. Doodlebugs are cricket-based dog treats perfect for pet parents because insect protein is nutritious, sustainable, and hypoallergenic. Danielle strives to change Canadians’ perception of entomophagy, challenging their food aversions for the sake of pet and environment wellbeing.
Since starting her business, Danielle won 6 business competitions and passionately dove into the world of insect protein, sharing her findings with Vancouver Island residents and her peers. With the increasing demand for protein and simultaneous environmental decline, innovative thinkers like Danielle will guide consumers in the right direction.