Co-op Student- Rishi Chakravarthula

Placement- Island Flight School

1) What has prepared you for this role at Island Flight School?

I am very passionate about flights and aerospace engineering since I was small and started to explore various career paths. I personally found the aviation field out of the ordinary and extremely interesting which is why I wanted to take a co-op placement related to my career path which was my placement at Billy Bishop Airport in Island Air Flight School.

2) What struggles/barriers did you overcome to land this placement?

At first, I was not going to get a placement at Island Air because of COVID and the number of employees that currently work at the flight school. I tried around 15 other flight schools, Airports, Simulation centres and other places, but none of them were taking co-op students. I had some hope left for Island Air and called them directly to talk about the co-op opportunity and explain what co-op is. Fortunately, they told me they delayed my interview because of some issue at the airport, but after a week of waiting they called me in for the interview. I got interviewed by the dispatch manager and he was also a former air cadet just like me, so we had something in common to talk about/relate to. He selected me and told me to start working from 2 days after the interview which was the best thing that ever happened to me.

3) What are you future aspirations? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

My future aspiration is either to become an aerospace engineer or a commercial pilot. I see myself training for my pilot license and going to university taking my selected courses and trying to achieve my two paths as an engineer or a pilot.

4) What advice would you give to fellow Co-op students?

Anything I would say to fellow co-op students or any co-op student is to not give up and not to stick stubbornly to only one option but to explore the wide range of options available for co-op. Don't get discouraged if someone doesn't hire you and just think that it was their loss that they couldn't hire a wonderful and a student with better skill than them. If you don't get a placement, try your hardest and also try to contact one place 3 times maximum, but at different times because the staff change and one might probably land you the job. That is what I want other co-op students to do if they are having a tough time getting a placement.

Co-op Student- Nadia Mammoliti

Placement- Dental Solutions

1) What has prepared you for this role at Dental Solutions?

What has prepared me the most for co op was probably already knowing about what it was and the type of things I would have to do, I also looked beforehand to see where it was and how long it took to get there and then from there to my school.

2) What struggles/barriers did you overcome to land this placement?

Other then COVID possibly affecting what I could do at the placement everything else was pretty simple.

3) What advice would you give to fellow Co-op students?

When you choose your co op placement even if it’s not exactly your first plan on what you want to do co op will help you decide whether it’s the right place for you or not.

Thank you to our lovely Co-op Supervisors!