Co-op Chronicles: Students Share Their Journeys in Industry

Some lessons can only be learned by doing. Through co-op, Northeastern University Vancouver students have the opportunity to move beyond assignments and simulations to work on projects with real responsibilities, real stakeholders, and real outcomes. In this edition of Co-op Chronicles, three students reflect on the experiences that challenged them, expanded their perspectives, and helped prepare them for the next stage of their careers. 

Harshil Chudasama – Align Master of Science in Computer Science

Co-op Position: Software Engineer Intern, ICBC

What were your main responsibilities during your co-op experience?
During my co-op at ICBC, I worked as a Software Engineer Intern supporting backend systems for large-scale public sector applications. My responsibilities included developing and maintaining Java and Spring Boot APIs, supporting AWS-based infrastructure, improving system reliability, and contributing to event-driven workflows. 

I collaborated closely with software engineers, QA specialists, business stakeholders, and cloud teams. One of the most rewarding aspects of the experience was seeing how engineering decisions directly impact people across British Columbia in a high-scale, high-trust environment. 

What did this experience help you learn about yourself?
I learned that I enjoy working on systems where reliability, clarity, and long-term maintainability matter. In the classroom, problems are often well-defined. During co-op, I discovered that real-world engineering requires communication, ownership, and the ability to balance competing priorities, timelines, and technical constraints.

What is the best advice you received during your co-op?
Treat every project and conversation as an opportunity to build trust. Technical skills are important, but reliability, clear communication, thoughtful questions, and consistently following through can make a significant difference in how people perceive your potential.

Which resources or supports were most helpful to you?
I relied on support from my co-op advisor, resume and application guidance, job postings through Northeastern’s platform, and feedback from peers and mentors. These resources helped me better understand how to position my experience, communicate my technical skills, and approach the interview process more professionally.

Was there a conversation or moment that shifted your perspective?
A conversation with a senior colleague helped me realize that strong engineers are not just people who write good code. They are people who understand the business context, think about users, consider long-term maintainability, and help their team make better decisions. That shifted my mindset from simply completing tickets to thinking more like an owner.

What three words best describe your experience at Northeastern University in Vancouver?
Challenging, Practical, Transformative 

Princess Mariama Ramboyong – Master of Professional Studies in Analytics

Co-op Positions: Student Project Coordinator, Bird Construction

What were your main responsibilities during your co-op experience?

As a Student Project Coordinator with Bird Construction in Edmonton, I supported the interior fit-out of a pharmaceutical facility. My role balanced both office and field responsibilities, including coordinating RFIs and submittals, tracking compliance workflows, and supporting installation activities through BIM-to-field verification. 

I also applied my analytics background by building dashboards for estimation analysis and project reporting, while developing workflow automations that improved information flow and saved time for project teams. 

What made the experience especially memorable was working alongside project managers, superintendents, engineers, and coordinators across multiple disciplines. Coming from a telecommunications background in the Philippines and Singapore, I didn’t expect to feel so at home on a Canadian construction site, but the team made sure I did. 

What did this experience help you learn about yourself?
I discovered that I’m far more adaptable than I realized. University often provides structure, deadlines, and clear expectations. On site, I had to make judgment calls independently and trust my ability to solve problems and ask the right questions. 

I also learned that Edmonton winters are tough, but my curiosity and desire to learn were stronger. 

What is the best advice you received during your co-op?
Don’t limit yourself to a single industry. Analytics exists anywhere there is data, decision-making, and problems to solve. 

Many of the skills you’ve developed in one industry can create value in another. Stay open to opportunities, apply broadly, and trust that employers will recognize the strengths and perspectives you bring. 

Which resources or supports were most helpful to you?
I worked closely with my co-op advisor for resume reviews and interview preparation, attended career workshops and employer sessions, and actively used NUworks throughout my search. 

I also networked extensively through LinkedIn and industry events. Over time, I realized that some of my strongest opportunities came not from applications, but from meaningful conversations and professional connections. 

Was there a conversation or moment that shifted your perspective?
At the end of my co-op, I presented my work to the entire Edmonton team, sharing the project coordination work, dashboards, and workflow automations I had developed. 

Standing in front of colleagues who had invested so much in my growth and demonstrating the value I contributed back to the team was one of the most meaningful moments of my journey. The experience became even more significant when it ultimately led to a full-time opportunity after graduation. 

What three words best describe your experience at Northeastern University in Vancouver?
Rewarding, Empowering, Worth It

Yan-Bo Chen – Align Master of Science in Computer Science

Co-op Position: Data Analyst / Data Scientist Co-op, Fraser Health Authority

What were your main responsibilities during your co-op experience?
During my co-op with Fraser Health Authority’s Clinical Analytics, Advanced Analytics, Data Science and Innovation (CAADSI) team, I supported healthcare analytics, service planning, and strategic decision-making. 

My responsibilities included analyzing healthcare data, supporting statistical analysis, creating visualizations and reporting tools, and translating complex data into actionable insights for stakeholders. 

I contributed to a long-term healthcare planning project by analyzing long-term care waitlists and backlogs to forecast future demand through 2035 and assess how delayed placements could affect hospital capacity and patient flow across the broader health system.

As a physician transitioning into healthcare data and technology, I found it especially rewarding to apply clinical knowledge in a data-driven environment. 

What did this experience help you learn about yourself?
I learned that I can serve as a bridge between clinical knowledge and data analysis. 

While Northeastern helped me build technical skills in programming, statistics, and visualization, the co-op experience showed me how my healthcare background helps me ask better questions, interpret results more thoughtfully, and connect data to real-world healthcare decisions. 

I also discovered that I enjoy working through ambiguity and helping teams understand not only what the data shows, but what it means. 

What is the best advice you received during your co-op?
Don’t wait until you feel completely ready before reaching out to people or pursuing opportunities. 

For students with non-traditional backgrounds, previous experience can become a strength rather than a limitation. Co-op is not only about finding a job. It’s also about understanding your value, learning from others, and growing through real-world experience. 

Which resources or supports were most helpful to you?
I benefited from support provided through Northeastern Vancouver, including my co-op advisor, resume and interview preparation resources, workshops, networking opportunities, and conversations with professors and classmates. 

These resources were especially valuable as I transitioned from clinical medicine into healthcare data and technology. 

Was there a conversation or moment that shifted your perspective?
A conversation with my supervisor during a long-term care waitlist analysis project changed how I think about teamwork. 

I initially believed success depended primarily on producing accurate analysis. Watching my supervisor navigate uncertainty showed me that effective healthcare analytics also depends on communication, shared understanding, and helping teams work through complex challenges together. 

That experience reinforced that technical skills are only one part of making an impact. 

What three words best describe your experience at Northeastern University in Vancouver?
Supportive, Proactive, Encouraging