Featured Student: Andrea Enriquez

What is your major when do you plan to graduate?

I’m majoring in Nutritional Sciences and planning to graduate in 2025.

Why did you choose to enroll in co-op?

Being in co-op was not part of my initial plan for my undergraduate experience.

However, I wanted to gain work experience that would prepare me for life post-graduation, as well as explore fields that I’m interested in.

I also consulted other friends and students who were already in the co-op program. All of them had such cool opportunities that it made me want to try it out.

Which positions did you work during co-op?

I’ve worked two positions for my co-op terms.

My first position was as a camp counsellor for a non-profit organization, CTS (Connect. Teach. Sustain.) Youth Society, who provides free outdoor education for kids aged 12 -18. As a camp counsellor, I planned the day camp activities and executed them as well.

At my current position as a Clinical Research Assistant in the Department of Anesthesiology at St. Paul’s Hospital, I’m involved in many ongoing studies including screening, recruitment, enrollment and data collection.

These research studies are quite diverse, dealing with patients undergoing Cesarean delivery to patients with open-heart surgeries. The ongoing projects also vary from feasibility studies, qualitative studies and randomized-controlled trials.

Do you mind sharing some of the most beneficial skills that you felt like you learned on your placement as a camp counsellor?

One of the most beneficial skills I learned as a camp counsellor is being adaptable to change!

Although it was just a 4-month term, there were lots of unexpected changes during my employment. If you have ever worked with kids, you know that their uniqueness can create dynamic situations. Therefore, adapting quickly by accepting change and problem-solving has proven to be a really helpful skill that I learned both during the job and after my placement - with other co-op terms and my personal life.

Anesthesiology is a hugely complex and extremely important aspect of hospital work! As a Land and Food Studies student, what connections between your academic learning and your on-the-job responsibilities in the hospital were you able to make? Would you be able to talk about any particular research that you worked on?

As a Land and Food Systems student, human health is the main topic of my academic studies, which covers a wide range of topics like: human nutrition, anatomy, biochemistry and the healthcare system.

In my responsibilities as an anesthesiology research assistant, I often encounter these disciplines and it is very interesting to see them all interacting. For instance, I'm involved in a few studies on cardiac surgery patients. My responsibilities include screening the patients based on their health history, to ensure that they fit the studies' inclusion/exclusion criteria. Therefore, I often look at their labs with their general chemistry, as well as social history, and the type of surgery they will be getting based on their disease.

Learning about human health in my degree made onboarding with my responsibilities slightly easier when I was starting out.

Can you share your favourite experience while in co-op?

My favourite experiences in co-op are hanging out and having fun with my co-workers.

My co-op experience would not have been as enjoyable without my amazing co-workers. Whether working on tasks together or spending time outside of work, I always found myself laughing as loud as I could and truly appreciating everyone’s presence.

It seems like you made a lot of wonderful and fulfilling connections on your co-op terms. Can you tell me about a particular time with your colleagues and how it positively impacted you: personally, professionally or both?

During my co-op terms, I met amazing people, with different interests, who pursued a variety of pathways. This exposed me to many mindsets and perspectives, that I had never thought of before, both in my career aspirations and personal growth.

Professionally, I always pictured a linear path - from step 1, step 2 and all the way to step n. This was how I thought I would reach my end goal. However, from my colleagues, I learned that we are ever-changing and so it's also okay to change our minds. Although my current career path in medicine has not changed, this perspective helped me to feel less pressure about my next steps and focus on my present, rather than being anxious about the future.

Furthermore, my colleagues' genuineness and kindness made such an impact personally that I'm now less afraid to ask for help, as they're always ready to show up when needed as members of a community.

What was your best achievement in co-op?

My best achievement in co-op was taking a leap of faith and getting out of my comfort zone.

Before my first term, I didn’t have much knowledge of outdoor education or tackling the big project of planning a whole program. Sure, I liked being out in nature, but that was all I knew! As I started my job as a camp counsellor, many experiences and job responsibilities were outside my comfort zone, as well as situations that I have never been in.

I would say I’m quite proud of how I tackled these experiences and how I carried myself through. By being out of my comfort zone, I grew a lot.

What did you feel most challenged by and how did you overcome it?

My first job search was challenging.

I applied to jobs each week and successfully landed interviews. The problem was that the job offers that I received were not my ideal position.

As the first work term slowly approached, I still needed a placement. I felt stressed, balancing all of the interviews and applications while studying for finals. I knew I had to take the pressure off and stop being so hard on myself. My solution was to become more open-minded about considering different positions. This mindset definitely opened a whole set of job opportunities that I wouldn’t have initially considered – resulting in my first placement.

As it turns out, my job as a camp counsellor has been one of the most fun and fulfilling experiences in my life.

How do you feel co-op helped your personal growth?

The people I met during my placements were beneficial to my personal growth.

Talking to my co-workers and supervisors about their personal stories and career pathways allowed me to reflect on my values and what I want for my future career.

I am incredibly grateful for the wonderful colleagues that I got to know during these placements. I learned a lot from each person who shared their diverse journey and this allowed me to learn about myself. Their kindness and support both professionally and personally made my experiences in co-op incredibly enjoyable and worthwhile.

How do you feel co-op has helped your career?

During the job search, I wrote tons of cover letters and resumes. I went to a dozen job interviews. This experience was truly valuable, as I now know the competitive nature of job hunting and the qualities that employers look for. It helped me to become more comfortable and confident in advocating for myself regarding my skills, experiences and values.

Furthermore, as I’m interested in the healthcare profession, the relationships that I fostered with physicians and hospital staff helped me gain first-hand experience in the field, as well as an awareness of job options and understanding of the industry.

What advice would you offer future co-op students?

Don’t get discouraged by the job application process!

There are so many jobs out there and you truly gain something out of every encounter and experience. Be open-minded and if there are positions that you might have set your heart on – there will be other ones.

Co-op is the time to learn what you like and don’t like. So, even if you don’t end up fully enjoying a placement, it’s still time well spent as you’ve discovered something about yourself.

What are you looking forward to after graduation?

Currently, I’m not entirely sure about my next venture after graduation, which is exactly what I’m looking forward to!

My options are to apply to medical school, evaluate other work experiences or explore and travel.