1) Why did you join the co-op program?

My main attraction to the co-op program was that it could provide me with experiences that would allow me to find a profession that I was truly passionate about.

2) Tell us about your co-op work terms.

I have done 4 work terms.

For my first work term I worked at the Pacific Agri-food Research Centre in Summerland, BC as a Research Assistant in a Viticulture Lab. I was part of a team investigating the environmental determinants of grape and wine quality. Most of my work was in the field where we maintained our grape vine plots and setup and conducted experiments. This was a great first work term experience – the people I worked with made each day enjoyable and I came away with an appreciation of the complexity of viticulture. 

I spent my second work term at Metro Vancouver in a Research Assistant Position in Environmental Monitoring. My favourite part of this work term was the variety. Each day offered a new challenge. Some days were spent in the office and others were spent hiking and boating in the Vancouver watersheds setting up experiments and collecting data.

My last two work terms were at the BC Cancer Agency’s Deeley Research Centre here in Victoria as a Co-op Student. My major project was to optimize a staining method that detects low oxygen concentrations in living tissue on a single cell level. My days were spent designing and conducting experiments and analyzing my data. Through this work term I learned a great deal about the scientific method and I was exposed to a wide variety of cancer research topics through seminars and conferences.

3) What do research, analysis and problem solving skills mean to you? Why are they important?

For me, the most fundamental research skill is the ability to engage your curiosity and not assume anything. Problem solving is a huge part of research. It can be fun and rewarding but it can also be frustrating. Perseverance and resilience are essential to get through the times when your experiments are not going well. In my experience, to be truly skilled analytically is to be able see all the important details in your data – not just the obvious ones – and then incorporating them into a working hypothesis.

4) How did you demonstrate research, analysis and problem solving skills during your work terms?

During my work term at the Summerland Research Station I assembled a literature review of the grape disease, berry shrivel. The cause of berry shrivel is currently unknown and controversial. With my research and analysis skills I synthesized the findings of other researchers examining grape physiology in other contexts with my knowledge of berry shrivel to develop my own hypothesis as to the cause of the disease.

I spent the majority of my work term at the Deeley Research Centre trying to figure out how I could improve a specific staining method. This proved to be quite a challenge. I had many good ideas about how I could improve it but almost every time I conducted an experiment the results were negative. This experience opened my eyes to the amount of troubleshooting that science requires. It took lots of resilience to get back up and keep trying after an experiment repeatedly failed. However, when my experiment finally worked it was more than worth it!

5) What inspired you during your work terms?

What makes me so passionate about biology in general is the complexity of life and my desire to understand how life works. Considering how my work can be applied to a real-world problem is also very inspiring. What I love about science is that you not only have the chance to discover new things but also bring positive change. Learning about the work of other scientists is another inspiration for me. I’ve found that seminars provide a perfect medium for this. I’m very fortunate to have worked with wonderful groups of people during each of my work terms – their excitement for science has been contagious!

6) Overall, what have you learned from your experience with co-op?

Co-op has taught me a lot about my strengths and weaknesses as an employee. I’ve learned that I’m quite enthusiastic but that I need to work on my organizational skills. More importantly, I’ve learned about what I enjoy doing. Through co-op I’ve learned that I enjoy the intellectual stimulation, freedom, and hands-on work that research provides. My Co-op work terms have provided me with lots of practice at critical thinking, problem solving, and thinking independently – skills that can be difficult to convey in classes but are essential to conduct sound science.

7) Do you have an ultimate career goal? If yes, how did co-op help you towards that goal?

I haven’t decided where exactly I want to go with my career yet. However, my Co-op experience has had a tremendous impact on what areas I am considering a career in now (I wouldn’t have seen myself wanting to be a researcher after high school). Through Co-op I’ve learned that I could see myself having an enjoyable and meaningful career in healthcare far into the future.

8) How do you think you’ll use your research, analysis and problem-solving skills in the future?

I’ve already started to use these skills for my Honours project! I hope to use these skills to pursue my own research interests in the future.