Brianna McNeill

It is amazing the reaction that I get when I tell people that I am employed as a Co-op student.  We had a Chamber of Commerce mixer here at my work last week, and many employers were very impressed that I took the plunge and joined Co-op!  Working at Prestige Kitchens for a little over two months now, I realize just how much you can learn during a summer placement.  I am now getting a lot more independent. My job involves paying the bills, billing our customers, and all of the steps in between.

Chelsey Gorveatt

I can definitely say that I have met my personal development goals working at MRSB Chartered Accountants this past summer as a co-op student. I gained a greater understanding of the accounting world. I learned that accounting is not a monotonous job but a job that changes each and every day. It is challenging and I know that I will continue to learn throughout my future to becoming a Chartered Accountant.

I have met so many new people and I have built relationships that go beyond the workplace. I have made new friends at MRSB and I truly feel like part of a work family. I have been pushed to my limits in terms of educational capacity. I have learned so much that my head has throbbed at the end of a work week but it has all been worth it. Without the co-operative education program at UPEI I would never have had the opportunity to work at MRSB Chartered Accountants. My goal this work term was to determine if accounting was my destined career and I believe after the amazing time I had this summer that I have found my dream career! I have been asked to come back and work at MRSB Chartered Accountants as a full time employee when I graduate. This is a true success of the co-op program and all the good it has done for me!

Emily Smith

This summer I am working with the Stars for Life Foundation.  We are a Foundation on PEI that is raising money to build a home/learning centre for young adults and families dealing with Autism Spectrum.  I have been introduced to many topics of business and a lot of it will help prepare me for entrepreneurship if I choose to go down that road.  But out of all the jobs I do, the best part is the feeling I get at the end of the day when I remember that this is not a business looking for a profit.  This is a business that only cares about making a difference.  The final product of this business will not be a benefit to us, the ones running it, but the people and families dealing with Autism.  It's a good feeling knowing that you are doing all of this work to make a difference in someone's life.

Emma McPhail

Co-op has helped me in a lot of ways.  Apart from the skills and knowledge I have taken away from the Peak Performance sessions, the two jobs I have had as my work terms have expanded my network immensely.  My first work term in the Accounting Office at UPEI, I met and work with numerous individuals.  When my manger in that position moved to a different department on campus she got me a job there as well, where I was exposed to a different area of work and even more colleagues.  In my second work term I was able to put my foot in the door of an international company in Oxford, England, which has offices in Canada, where I am thinking of applying for a future work term.  It has also exposed me to a different type of work (market research) that I previously had limited knowledge about.  So all-in-all, I have benefitted from Co-op in a huge way and I hope to continue to do so.

Billy MacDonald

Upon returning from my year abroad, I was able to land an HR job with the Provincial Government for the summer.  To tell you the truth, this job was the last on my list in terms of preferred work.  However, I'm 7 weeks into my work term and I love it.  Although my focus of study is international business, finance/accounting; my HR experience has opened my eyes to the corporate experience.  I am learning a lot about how to manage people and lead people within an organization.