Where have co-op students worked?

UVic co-op students have completed more than 105,000 co-op work terms since the program launched in 1976. They have put their skills into action for employers across Canada and around the world. Here are some of their stories.

Business

Curtis Lever stands in from of the CanCham Thailand sign

Curtis Lever (commerce)

Driven by his keen interest in the intersection of technology and business, Curtis Lever (commerce) helped organize a networking night as part of his work term at the Thai-Canadian Chamber of...

A close-up of a student's identification lanyard for a conference.

Hanna Schleppe (commerce)

Commerce co-op student Hanna Schleppe’s co-op experience in Graz, Austria through UVic's award-winning CANEU-COOP Program was enriched by her active involvement in two main community...

Henry King stands in front of the David Strong Building. The building is made of red brick. Henry wears a light brown jacket.

Henry King (commerce)

Henry King doesn’t shy away from a challenge. After being hired as a co-op student for Sure Grip Controls (soon to be rebranded to Bailey Electronics), the entrepreneurship student...

Three people stand together on a street with flowers behind them.

Hikaru Saito (commerce)

Hikaru Saito, a fourth year Gustavson business student, completed an international co-op as a Summer Intern for Apex K.K’s sales department in Tokyo, Japan. His role focused primarily on...

A student stands next to the slide on the Malahat Skywalk.

Jack Bougie (commerce)

When the opportunity arose to work as a co-op student with an iconic local tourism company, Malahat Skywalk Corporation, it was a perfect fit for commerce student Jack Bougie.

A student stands in front of the Colosseum in Rome.

Jake Gaglardi-Kreider (commerce)

My name is Jake Gaglardi-Kreider, a fourth-year student at the University of Victoria Business school (Gustavson) with specialization in International Business. I chose the business school at UVic...

A student holds a box of Bin Breeze in front of a brick wall.

Jamil Bhimji (commerce)

UVic commerce co-op student Jamil Bhimji made an impact at BinBreeze, a Victoria-based company that is changing the future of composting food waste.

Two people stand close together in an apartment.

Jordan Smith (master of global business)

My name is Jordan and I recently completed the MGB program at UVic. After finishing my time in Austria in the MGB program, I decided to search for work opportunities in Europe to broaden my work...

Lauren McDiarmid (commerce)

During her work term at Apex K.K in Tokyo, commerce co-op student Lauren McDiarmid led an impactful movement that not only addressed the critical issue of zero hunger worldwide (UN SDG #2) but also...

Lauren McDiarmid (commerce)

Lauren travelled to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to work as a research and project development assistant with SEAMEO RETRAC, an intergovernmental organization committed to assisting SEAMEO Member...

Louisa Kusekopf (commerce)

I’m Louisa, a second-year BCom student from Victoria, BC. I’m currently completing an international co-op work term in Southern Germany. I am working at Spa & Resort...

A student stands in the Portofino bakery holding a bag of bread.

Melanie Procyshyn (commerce)

Commerce student Melanie Procyshyn has always been excited about commerce and its role in the economy, but when she began her studies at the University of Victoria in 2021, it was recommendations...

A student stands in front of a building holding a Parks Canada water bottle.

Nancy Nguyen (commerce)

UVic commerce student Nancy Nguyen joined the BC Parks team as a program assistant. She helped BC Parks provide high quality, safe outdoor recreation that protects the natural environment.

A student takes a photo of someone jumping off a platform at WildPlay.

Olivia Nelson (commerce)

Commerce student Olivia Nelson put her passions to work at WildPlay Element Parks, capturing exciting video of ziplines, rope courses and bungee-jumps for marketing.

Engineering and Computer Science

A student smiles at the employer while sitting at a desk in front of a window overlooking Victoria's Inner Harbour.

Tanvir Kahlon (software engineering)

As someone who is passionate about problem solving and design, Tanvir Kahlon (he/him) knew he wanted to study at a university where he could be challenged. The international student from India was...

A photo of Aislinn Dressler. She is wearing a black sweatshirt and is holding the camera in front of her. The background is blurred.

Aislinn Dressler (civil engineering)

As a civil engineering student, Aislinn Dressler is incredibly driven. The fourth-year student has leveraged each of her co-op experiences to learn about herself and develop the perfect career...

Alex McKay and Nick Saar (engineering)

Engineering students Alex McKay and Nick Saar designed a pre-incident plan for a navy base fire department.

Two students stand on a ski hill wearing goggles and ski suits.

Blaine Tubungbanua (mechanical engineering)

I had always entertained the idea of an international co-op, but had never considered going to Germany, or even Europe, but I saw the posting for Airbus Helicopters in Donauwörth Germany,...

A student holds a Rubik's cube. There are many colourful engineering toys in front of him.

Casey Woo (mechanical engineering)

As a fourth-year student in mechanical engineering, Casey Woo was excited to share his knowledge and passion for solving problems with camp participants at Engineering for Kids.

Christine Wong Chong (biomedical engineering)

When Christine Wong Chong enrolled as a biomedical engineering student at UVic, she was inspired by the prospect of working in a field that contributes to medical advancements that improve...

Cornelius Ong (mechanical engineering)

I'm Cornelius, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student at UVic, and I recently completed an 8-month co-op as an Actuator Design Intern with the Tesla Optimus team, Tesla's humanoid robot...

A student sits at a table in front of a meal.

Ellie Walters (electrical engineering)

“Have you ever been to a ball?” No, have you?” I replied. “No, I believe it’s an Austrian tradition,” Vic, one of the...

A photo of a shoreline with some buildings and a cliff.

Hailey Gascoigne (computer engineering)

Hailey Gascoigne, a fourth-year computer engineering student, recently completed an international co-op work term as a Research Intern for Smart Home Technologies at Thomas More University College...

A student smiles while standing in front of a green tree.

Kirsten Krajnc (civil engineering)

Civil engineering co-op Kristen Krajn learned how to collect historical weather data while working with Indigenous Services Canada.

A student and his employer stand talking at the top of a stairs in a glass hallway.

Liam Shatzel (computer science)

When Liam Shatzel (he/him) was choosing a university, he zeroed in on UVic's co-op program in computer science. The chance to put his skills into action during his degree was a deciding factor, and...

A student smiles while standing on a balcony.

Mahsa Torabi (civil engineering)

My name is Mahsa Torabi and I'm from Iran. I'm a third-year civil engineering co-op student who recently completed a co-op work term as a visiting researcher at the Carbon Leadership Forum in...

A student stands in front of a mountain in Nevada

Mariana Latta Suazo (mechanical engineering)

My name is Mariana and I grew up in Kitchener, Ontario and am now in my 4th year of Mechanical engineering at UVic. I picked engineering because of my love for math and science, and my desire to...

Matt Lebl (software engineering)

I’m Matt, and I’m a fourth-year student of software engineering at UVic. I decided to take software engineering because I discovered that I love programming, and I’d...

Two students stand on a dock. One wears a life jacket.

Matt Wilkinson (electrical engineering)

Matthew Wilkinson, a fourth-year electrical engineering student, completed his co-op work term as a manufacturing controls intern at Tesla. Operating at the lithium refinery outside of Corpus...

A students uses pipettes to do an experiment.

Robin Brooks (civil engineering)

My name is Robin Brooks, and I grew up on the lands of the Ts'uubaa-asatx peoples (commonly known as Lake Cowichan, BC). I am entering my fourth year of Civil Engineering at the University...

A student wearing a striped shirt sits at a desk in front of a laptop.

Yichun Zhao (computer science)

For UVic student Yichun Zhao, helping develop a computer system that ensured people entering BC from outside the country were managing self-isolation was a “wild ride.”

Education

Connor Guillet (educational psychology)

After completing his Bachelor of Education from the University of Saskatchewan’s Saskatchewan Urban Native Teachers Education Program, Connor Guillet enrolled in UVic’s...

Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education

A student wearing a climbing helmet lies down in a waterfall

Alborz Moulana (coaching studies)

Coaching studies student Alborz Moulana traveled to Babol, Iran to work as a climbing and rescue coach with Climbing Babol. He taught climbing, canyoning and rope rescue to professional climbers...

A student holding a basketball on the court.

Diego Maffia (recreation and health education)

When superstar basketball player and U Sports MVP Diego Maffia tore his ACL during his final season with the Vikes at UVic, he didn't let it slow him down. Instead, he tackled a new...

A student and her employer stand outside Glow Integrative Health

India Edwards (recreation and health education)

As someone who is passionate about holistic health care, recreation and health education student India Edwards (she/they) was looking for a co-op position where she could make a difference. She...

A student sits in a kayak on a body of water.

Kailyn Smith (recreation and health education)

Kailyn Smith, a third-year student majoring in recreational and health education, is currently completing an international work term in Thailand working as an Outdoor Education Intern at UWC....

Fine Arts

A student smiles while standing in front of a colourful background.

Kylee Hyde (music)

My name is Kylee, and I’m studying for a Bachelor Of Music at Macquarie University in NSW, Australia. I studied at UVic from September to December of 2022, and worked at Legacy Art...

Health Information Science

Several students wearing nametag lanyards look at the camera.

Andrew Abuleal (health information science)

Health information science student worked to improve healthcare in Kenya on international work term.

Humanities

A student stands with their employer in front of some artwork.

Angelina Schwarz (history and European studies)

UVic history and European Studies co-op student Angelina Schwarz’s internship at the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INPTA), opened doors for her to explore the...

A student sits in the control centre of a ship.

Ashley MacLellan (English and professional communication)

English and Professional Communications student Ashley Maclellan began her professional career after connecting with Civilian Human Resources at the Department of National Defence during the Mock...

Two students stand in front of a museum display.

James Coe and Matthew Kerr (history)

UVic history students James Coe and Matthew Kerr spent a summer bringing history to life at the Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum. From giving tours to curating their own...

A student stands in front of a wall of photos of firefighters.

Jay Choi (Indigenous studies)

Jay Choi was first drawn to UVic from his home in South Korea because he loves the city. As a student in the humanities, his major in Indigenous studies and minor in Pacific and Asian...

A student sits at the top of a hill overlooking a beach.

Lisa Schnitzler (English and Indigenous studies)

UVic English and Indigenous studies student Lisa Schnitzler travelled to Australia during her work term to join the policy and impact team with the Office of Indigenous Education and Engagement at...

A student wears a fur cloak that includes Indigenous stories.

Shireen Foroghi (political science)

Indigenous and political science co-op student travelled to Australia for work term at Walanga Muru - Macquarie University.

A student sits at a desk in front of a computer.

Sydney Moore (Indigenous studies and Canadian history)

Sydney Moore is an Indigenous Studies and Canadian History student, who is Métis, mixed with Anishinaabe, Cree and French ancestry. Born and raised on the unceded territories of...

Public Administration

Juraj Kobzik (public administration)

Juraj is finishing his studies in UVic’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) program. During his studies he completed two co-op work terms with the Government of Canada’s...