For this month’s Humans of Ace blog, we spoke to Shannon Danson, co-op coordinator with the Applied Science co-op program at Simon Fraser University. Shannon has had a chance to work in both the private and public sectors in career education with a diverse population. Helping students is one of Shannon’s passions, and she was happy to share a few of her experiences and insights.

What are 3 words your coworkers would use to describe you?

Efficient. Focused. Organized.

What do you enjoy the most about your job? 

I enjoy being able to help students in the process of developing short term and long term career goals. I find it very fulfilling to support people in the beginning stages of their career journey.

What is something surprising about you? 

As much as I enjoy working with people through the day, I am quite happy to find myself in a book or my garden and lose track of time for hours without engaging anyone.  This is likely not too surprising to those around me.

What do you enjoy doing in your leisure time?  

ANYTHING Outdoors. Hiking.  Kayaking.  Gardening.  Books.

What is the best piece of career advice you’ve been given and by whom?  

Follow through on what you say you are going to do or accomplish.  Just do it.  It may not be perfect first time around but it shows your reliability and dedication.  It is just a matter of time and you will get better and more polished until you reach the point where it is only a foundation and you can then take it to the next level.

-First manager.

What does leadership mean to you?  

Leadership is the ability to see the talents and strengths in those around you and then implement that expertise into a long term vision.  Successful leadership offers ongoing support, encouraging collective commitment to meet benchmarks and ultimately make the vision become a reality.