I walked in this internship thinking it was going to be one of two options: A summer placement where I would do menial and useless cubical work, or an intense position that only a super genius could fill. And by the end of this month I realized that it was definitely the second one. I’m definitely not a portable super quantum computer on wheels, able to do anything within a couple seconds, but I tried my best and found that it was enough.
The first couple days at Christie were some pretty shocking days. I came in and was totally blown away by the people who were working there, and how smart they were on the topics that circulated inside the company. Then I was taken on a tour… This building had EVERYTHING! Its own workshops, stores, workout rooms, cafeteria, offices, labs, production facility, you name it; the only thing they no longer had was a pool. And to top off being thrown into this immense building filled with academically inclined people, I realized I had to become one of those people in order to function here. Sure enough, my supervisor jumped right on that and launched me into the system with hundreds of pages of reading, and confidence that I would shine.
As the days went by, I soon became familiar with everything that was going on. In order to complete those projects I learned to access parts and their information, how to analyze data efficiently, how to find accurate data, the specific science behind it, how to buy parts (yes, I got to shop and buy hundreds of dollars work of parts; awesome I know), create my own experiments, and write up reports, among many other things. The nice thing is that all of these things seem so second nature by today that I even found it hard to really ask myself what did I gain… the environment I was in made it seem as though I had known these things all along.
But with all of this ending, and my grade 12 year approaching, I am more and more grateful that I had this chance to be in the position I was in for the summer, and I know it has given me many new skills and thoughts that I will carry on with me in my years to come. To be honest, it's taken a couple minutes to write this, but I am a ranter and know that if I could, I would write another 10 pages to fully express the things I have experienced in this past month, but then it wouldn’t be a blog, it would be another report.
So to finish with a closing statement, I would definitely say that I do not regret applying for an internship one bit. This opened my eyes and helped me look at my future through different, more patient and experienced eyes. It was a great experience, I would recommend it to anyone and it helped shape me a lot.
Laurentiu Anton
Hometown: Kitchener, ON
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
August 27 - Hatch Ltd.
My final day at Hatch, my cubical neighbor greeted me with a friendly smile and a ‘Good morning’. I sat down at my computer and continued working on my presentation, which was scheduled to occur in 3 hours. The presentation explained my experiences at Shad Valley and my internship in the Hydrotechnical department at Hatch engineering company. The presentation took place in a big board room in which I felt intimidated by. Fortunately, the presentation went well and the participants saw a brief 20 minute overview of my Shad Valley experience.
Over the course of the past four weeks, I’ve gained much more than I ever thought I would. I’ve learned everything from water principles to soil properties. I also learned how to write up a basic report and to test wire harnesses, all in just 19 days. But the major project I worked on was to design an open-channel drain. Over this short period of time I’ve learned that engineering is a constant learning process and at the end of the day it comes down to finding a solution.
When lunchtime came around the hydrotechnical department followed its weekly routine of going out for lunch and this Friday wasn’t any different. I enjoyed lunch with my fellow Hatch employees who are both amazingly friendly and approachable people. As the final hour was drew closer, I was completing questionnaires and saying my goodbyes The final thing that I did was hand in my swipe card and walk down from the 4th floor to catch my bus. As I was leaving I thought that this could be the last time that I am leaving the Hatch building, or perhaps in the future I may walk down these steps again.
Mariya Spylchak
Hometown: Winnipeg, MB
Over the course of the past four weeks, I’ve gained much more than I ever thought I would. I’ve learned everything from water principles to soil properties. I also learned how to write up a basic report and to test wire harnesses, all in just 19 days. But the major project I worked on was to design an open-channel drain. Over this short period of time I’ve learned that engineering is a constant learning process and at the end of the day it comes down to finding a solution.
When lunchtime came around the hydrotechnical department followed its weekly routine of going out for lunch and this Friday wasn’t any different. I enjoyed lunch with my fellow Hatch employees who are both amazingly friendly and approachable people. As the final hour was drew closer, I was completing questionnaires and saying my goodbyes The final thing that I did was hand in my swipe card and walk down from the 4th floor to catch my bus. As I was leaving I thought that this could be the last time that I am leaving the Hatch building, or perhaps in the future I may walk down these steps again.
Mariya Spylchak
Hometown: Winnipeg, MB
Thursday, August 26, 2010
August 26 - Sentex Data Communications
Thursday, 9:15 in the morning, summer 2010. Usually, at this time, this season, I would prefer to lie in bed, laze around or play video games. But not this month!
Since the first day of my internship here at Sentex Data Communiactions, I wake up every day bright and early (well not early really) knowing that my day is going to be filled with excitement, challenges, jokes and fun! It has been 3 weeks already and whether it’s the assignments that I work on or the hilarious conversations and jokes that take place, there has not been a single day when my brain is left unchallenged and dead.
During my first week, I was introduced to the staff (very cool people!), given a tour of the building and informed of what Sentex does and its operations etc. Next, as requested, I gave a brief presentation about myself, Shad, my experience at Shad, and our Shad Nationals project. Making the presentation was of great benefit to me as well as to my Shad Cup team as our product was subjected to many important questions that we had not addressed before.
I was introduced to my assignment early second week. I was to create and design Android applications using Eclipse, a platform designed for building integrated web and application development tooling. Well when I first heard it, I made no effort to hide the fact that David might as well be speaking to me in another language. I had no idea what I was being told to do, let alone be able to do it, considering my vast lack of experience in the field. Now, thanks to 3 weeks worth of patient help, advice and walking over (every time I had a problem), I am extremely proud to say that I now know exactly what “” means among many other things! I was given a brief introduction to programming, and given various online tutorials to follow. I am happy to say that although at times, it was frustrating to see projects fail, it was truly rewarding and a shining TA-DA moment (with the sound effects and all) when I got some of them working (Calculator, Currency Converter etc.)
Wanting to succeed in my assignment was my goal and motivation, but really honestly speaking, it was the random conversations (StarCraft, cars, boats, arranged marriages and food), the hilarious jokes (Ninja-Bread Man-David), Jabber and the “intellectual” talk that livened my day, everyday! Wanting to be a farmer, I never imagined myself working for a month in front of a computer, 8 hours a day, 4 days a week. But this internship has opened a door to a whole new world for me, one that I will continue to explore even after the end of the month as I want to learn programming, more about app development, Arduinos etc.
My take home message from this internship? -No matter where it is you work or what it is you do, be comfortable with everyone and enjoy yourself, because that’s where the real learning happens!
Vigne Sridharan
Hometown: Guelph, ON
Since the first day of my internship here at Sentex Data Communiactions, I wake up every day bright and early (well not early really) knowing that my day is going to be filled with excitement, challenges, jokes and fun! It has been 3 weeks already and whether it’s the assignments that I work on or the hilarious conversations and jokes that take place, there has not been a single day when my brain is left unchallenged and dead.
During my first week, I was introduced to the staff (very cool people!), given a tour of the building and informed of what Sentex does and its operations etc. Next, as requested, I gave a brief presentation about myself, Shad, my experience at Shad, and our Shad Nationals project. Making the presentation was of great benefit to me as well as to my Shad Cup team as our product was subjected to many important questions that we had not addressed before.
I was introduced to my assignment early second week. I was to create and design Android applications using Eclipse, a platform designed for building integrated web and application development tooling. Well when I first heard it, I made no effort to hide the fact that David might as well be speaking to me in another language. I had no idea what I was being told to do, let alone be able to do it, considering my vast lack of experience in the field. Now, thanks to 3 weeks worth of patient help, advice and walking over (every time I had a problem), I am extremely proud to say that I now know exactly what “” means among many other things! I was given a brief introduction to programming, and given various online tutorials to follow. I am happy to say that although at times, it was frustrating to see projects fail, it was truly rewarding and a shining TA-DA moment (with the sound effects and all) when I got some of them working (Calculator, Currency Converter etc.)
Wanting to succeed in my assignment was my goal and motivation, but really honestly speaking, it was the random conversations (StarCraft, cars, boats, arranged marriages and food), the hilarious jokes (Ninja-Bread Man-David), Jabber and the “intellectual” talk that livened my day, everyday! Wanting to be a farmer, I never imagined myself working for a month in front of a computer, 8 hours a day, 4 days a week. But this internship has opened a door to a whole new world for me, one that I will continue to explore even after the end of the month as I want to learn programming, more about app development, Arduinos etc.
My take home message from this internship? -No matter where it is you work or what it is you do, be comfortable with everyone and enjoy yourself, because that’s where the real learning happens!
Vigne Sridharan
Hometown: Guelph, ON
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
August 25 - NB Power
As I stepped out of the van - I settled into a routine that had become second-nature to me over the past five weeks. Today was August 25th and yet another educating, interesting and all around amazing day at Point Lepreau (Nuclear) Generating Station.
I entered the building by passing security, and continued on to smile reassuringly at the newcomers trying desperately to learn the ins and outs of radiation protection monitors. I pushed open the double doors to the health physics lab and was greeted by many friendly faces. The lab techs were already hard at work doing various tasks from testing effluents to fixing gamma spectrometers.
My own work day started off by heading down to the crane hall and assisting Health Canada representatives in moving their “phantom man”. Not in fact a real man, but a plastic simulation used for quality control purposes. We counted the “man” on our full body counter and I helped identify which radionuclides were present.
For lunch we went to the on-site cottage and not only did we have a barbecue, but several of us partook in a game of washer toss. On our way back, we stopped in at the silos that housed nuclear waste and ended the day with a tour of the control room. With only two days left, I was still learning lots and discovering new aspects of the plant every day; hopeful to return at a later date and unravel the challenges that await at Point Lepreau.
Lucas Jarche
Hometown: Sackville, NB
I entered the building by passing security, and continued on to smile reassuringly at the newcomers trying desperately to learn the ins and outs of radiation protection monitors. I pushed open the double doors to the health physics lab and was greeted by many friendly faces. The lab techs were already hard at work doing various tasks from testing effluents to fixing gamma spectrometers.
My own work day started off by heading down to the crane hall and assisting Health Canada representatives in moving their “phantom man”. Not in fact a real man, but a plastic simulation used for quality control purposes. We counted the “man” on our full body counter and I helped identify which radionuclides were present.
For lunch we went to the on-site cottage and not only did we have a barbecue, but several of us partook in a game of washer toss. On our way back, we stopped in at the silos that housed nuclear waste and ended the day with a tour of the control room. With only two days left, I was still learning lots and discovering new aspects of the plant every day; hopeful to return at a later date and unravel the challenges that await at Point Lepreau.
Lucas Jarche
Hometown: Sackville, NB
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
August 24 - Canadian Pacific
For the past three weeks, I have been interning at Canadian Pacific in the Product Design department. When I was initially invited for an interview, the department name confused me. I was under the impression that CP transported goods via railway, so I wasn’t even sure if I was working with the renowned Canadian Pacific, or an ambiguous company with the same name.
In reality, what we do here in Product Design is handle the logistics of the railway. The team works together to design and effectively utilize our Integrated Operating Plan and Local Servicing Operating Plan so our trains can reach customers on time.
Today was somewhat of a typical day. I rushed in and sat at my cubicle with a coffee in hand, taking time to greet several friendly co-workers. At the moment, I am finishing up an informative presentation on CP’s Newtown subdivision that I have been researching with my Shad internship buddy, Betty Wang. We will be presenting a condensed version to the PD department soon, and the full deck will be posted to the share drive for future reference.
On the days that I didn’t work on projects and assignments, I had the opportunity to job shadow people within PD and other departments. Everyone I met was friendly, and explained their jobs very clearly to me, taking the time to voluntarily show me some interesting things about our railway. As well, I was allowed to tour the Calgary Intermodal Facility yard for a day. Seeing the actual trains that we were discussing and planning the routes for was fascinating. I even got to ride in a Reach Stacker, a huge crane-like machine that transferred the intermodal containers to the train cars.
Overall, I am very grateful that I was selected to work here at Canadian Pacific. The friendly environment coupled with the interesting work I was given has made this an amazing learning experience.
Alison Wong
Hometown: Calgary, AB
In reality, what we do here in Product Design is handle the logistics of the railway. The team works together to design and effectively utilize our Integrated Operating Plan and Local Servicing Operating Plan so our trains can reach customers on time.
Today was somewhat of a typical day. I rushed in and sat at my cubicle with a coffee in hand, taking time to greet several friendly co-workers. At the moment, I am finishing up an informative presentation on CP’s Newtown subdivision that I have been researching with my Shad internship buddy, Betty Wang. We will be presenting a condensed version to the PD department soon, and the full deck will be posted to the share drive for future reference.
On the days that I didn’t work on projects and assignments, I had the opportunity to job shadow people within PD and other departments. Everyone I met was friendly, and explained their jobs very clearly to me, taking the time to voluntarily show me some interesting things about our railway. As well, I was allowed to tour the Calgary Intermodal Facility yard for a day. Seeing the actual trains that we were discussing and planning the routes for was fascinating. I even got to ride in a Reach Stacker, a huge crane-like machine that transferred the intermodal containers to the train cars.
Overall, I am very grateful that I was selected to work here at Canadian Pacific. The friendly environment coupled with the interesting work I was given has made this an amazing learning experience.
Alison Wong
Hometown: Calgary, AB
Monday, August 23, 2010
August 23 - RBC
As I begin my last week here, I look back and can honestly say that not one day has been the same as the day before. Working with RBC Contact Centre, I’ve had a chance to see what goes on behind the scenes and the incredible amount of work that goes into each phone call the bank receives.
So far, I’ve worked with five different groups. My first week was spent with the Client Analytics group, which focused on using a brand new speech analytics program to analyze phone calls. Later on, I visited other groups such as Project Management, Workforce Management, and Reporting.
In each of these groups, I learned about their roles and picked up helpful tips along the way. This ranged anywhere from discovering how to create a website demo using PowerPoint to calculating how many workers were needed to maximize efficiency. Even in the most tedious data entry tasks, I managed to learn something new every time – bringing back reminiscent memories of Shad Speaks and lectures on finding opportunity.Along the way, not only did I learn things about each department, I also began to see how each group fit into the much larger scheme of things.
Although at Shad we often complained about the bureaucracy of large corporations and the brilliance of small, innovative companies, at RBC I learned that often it’s not about how quickly a project is done, but rather how it gets done. As I walk past familiar faces, I sometimes can’t help but marvel at how intricate the relationships between each department are. Like Shad, RBC is a truly interdependent community.
And if I’ve learned anything in the past month, it’s that alone you may go very quickly, but only together can you go far.
Nina Chen
Hometown: Mississauga, ON
So far, I’ve worked with five different groups. My first week was spent with the Client Analytics group, which focused on using a brand new speech analytics program to analyze phone calls. Later on, I visited other groups such as Project Management, Workforce Management, and Reporting.
In each of these groups, I learned about their roles and picked up helpful tips along the way. This ranged anywhere from discovering how to create a website demo using PowerPoint to calculating how many workers were needed to maximize efficiency. Even in the most tedious data entry tasks, I managed to learn something new every time – bringing back reminiscent memories of Shad Speaks and lectures on finding opportunity.Along the way, not only did I learn things about each department, I also began to see how each group fit into the much larger scheme of things.
Although at Shad we often complained about the bureaucracy of large corporations and the brilliance of small, innovative companies, at RBC I learned that often it’s not about how quickly a project is done, but rather how it gets done. As I walk past familiar faces, I sometimes can’t help but marvel at how intricate the relationships between each department are. Like Shad, RBC is a truly interdependent community.
And if I’ve learned anything in the past month, it’s that alone you may go very quickly, but only together can you go far.
Nina Chen
Hometown: Mississauga, ON
Friday, August 20, 2010
August 20 - Hatch Engineering
Looking back on the past three weeks, I realize that they have passed by unbelievably fast. It must be an indication that I am truly enjoying my Shad internship experience. During the three previous weeks I have been working at Hatch Engineering in Mississauga, Ontario. I, along with three other Shad students have been filling different job positions meant to expand our knowledge and interest of engineering.
Personally, I have been working with computer modeling software designing components of a retractable roof to a professional baseball stadium. Being a 10 year baseball player myself, I have found the work very engaging and interesting. Just this past week, I finally reached a stage in the design process where I could start to electronically fit some of the components together. For me, seeing weeks of work all come together to create a unified system is an indescribable feeling. It left me feeling proud of myself with regards to the amount of information I learned about engineering in just three weeks.
I would like to express my thanks to Shad Valley, for presenting me with this wonderful opportunity. I truly feel that my experience at Hatch has already, and will continue to help me in ways that my previous summer experiences have not thus far. And to Hatch Engineering, I would really like to thank everyone who has made me feel welcome and has guided me through my first three weeks. I never could have imagined that among 400 people in one office (not to mention international offices) I would feel like part of the team. I was definitely proven wrong. I am certainly looking forward to my final week but I know that saying goodbye to this experience will be difficult and reminiscent of my last days at Shad UNB.
Justin Samardzic
Hometown: Oakville, ON
Personally, I have been working with computer modeling software designing components of a retractable roof to a professional baseball stadium. Being a 10 year baseball player myself, I have found the work very engaging and interesting. Just this past week, I finally reached a stage in the design process where I could start to electronically fit some of the components together. For me, seeing weeks of work all come together to create a unified system is an indescribable feeling. It left me feeling proud of myself with regards to the amount of information I learned about engineering in just three weeks.
I would like to express my thanks to Shad Valley, for presenting me with this wonderful opportunity. I truly feel that my experience at Hatch has already, and will continue to help me in ways that my previous summer experiences have not thus far. And to Hatch Engineering, I would really like to thank everyone who has made me feel welcome and has guided me through my first three weeks. I never could have imagined that among 400 people in one office (not to mention international offices) I would feel like part of the team. I was definitely proven wrong. I am certainly looking forward to my final week but I know that saying goodbye to this experience will be difficult and reminiscent of my last days at Shad UNB.
Justin Samardzic
Hometown: Oakville, ON
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Internship at RBC Financial
Internship? I didn’t even know what internship meant for the longest time. Dictionary.com defines it as any official or formal program to provide experience for beginners in an occupation or profession. I define it as something beyond experience, a radical change perhaps. You see, an experience is something that just happens; an occurrence and it may or not have an impact on one’s life. A radical change has impacted the individual’s life, transforming it into something different and new. I have definitely participated in an internship.
RBC Financial has changed me, transformed my life, and has helped me grow as an individual. The radical change of an internship starts not when you do the work, it starts when you get out of bed. I get out of bed, make my breakfast, put on my dress shirt, my dress pants, and my dress shoes, take my RBC bag and go to work. I come in front of the beautiful RBC building, standing like a professional with my lanyard and photo pass card with access to the different floors in the building. I go sit at my desk with my computer and my chair. I say “Good Morning” to my fellow co-workers and my work day begins. At 9 am, after the arrival of our last co-worker, we all go to the servery for a coffee or water break. The key word there is all. The establishment of a community, which was emphasized at Shad Valley UNB is still being emphasized here at RBC, here in the workplace.
I am challenged here at RBC with new projects that test my skills and understanding. I enjoy working with my team members and am grateful for their support and generosity as they make time for me in their busy schedules. I can say many things, I can go on and on, but you will really only understand what I’m saying when you participate in an internship for yourself. For it is not some ordinary experience, it is an internship, that will radically change your life forever.
Justin Bansal
Hometown: Brampton, ON
RBC Financial has changed me, transformed my life, and has helped me grow as an individual. The radical change of an internship starts not when you do the work, it starts when you get out of bed. I get out of bed, make my breakfast, put on my dress shirt, my dress pants, and my dress shoes, take my RBC bag and go to work. I come in front of the beautiful RBC building, standing like a professional with my lanyard and photo pass card with access to the different floors in the building. I go sit at my desk with my computer and my chair. I say “Good Morning” to my fellow co-workers and my work day begins. At 9 am, after the arrival of our last co-worker, we all go to the servery for a coffee or water break. The key word there is all. The establishment of a community, which was emphasized at Shad Valley UNB is still being emphasized here at RBC, here in the workplace.
I am challenged here at RBC with new projects that test my skills and understanding. I enjoy working with my team members and am grateful for their support and generosity as they make time for me in their busy schedules. I can say many things, I can go on and on, but you will really only understand what I’m saying when you participate in an internship for yourself. For it is not some ordinary experience, it is an internship, that will radically change your life forever.
Justin Bansal
Hometown: Brampton, ON
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
August 18 - Canadian Pacific
Whenever I tell anyone that I’m working at Canadian Pacific (CP), the immediate response is always “Driving trains?” Well, no, the trains don’t stop on the 7th floor of Gulf Canada Square. What does happen on floor 7, however, is the managing of CP’s multimillion dollar Information Services department. Running a railway in the 21st century requires more than just trains and tracks, this organization uses over 100 different computerized applications in its day-to-day business. Not only do these systems keep the trains on time, they also manage crews, provide enterprise planning support, and give CP’s customers a self-service portal to track and manage services.
Obviously, all these services cost money to build, run and maintain, and being able to track these costs is key in making decisions and improving efficiency. That’s the job I do. The first day there I was shown the current system for Service Costing (as it’s called in the biz) and asked what I could do to improve it. Almost two weeks later I’ve nearly finished a completely new version of the model. The previous version was suffering from neglect, mainly because updating it with new data was such an unpleasant task. On the other hand, the new system I’ve constructed is designed to streamline the data entry process (or fully automate it, where possible), along with fully automating the data processing, reporting and export processes- components of which I suspect used to take place on a solar calculator.
All together, working at CP has been a very rewarding experience, not only have I learned about Microsoft Access, the internship has been invaluable in helping me learn about how big business IT functions, introduced me to the world of modern railroads, and given me many great experiences I can certainly apply in my future endeavors.
Collin Fair
Hometown: Carstairs, AB
Obviously, all these services cost money to build, run and maintain, and being able to track these costs is key in making decisions and improving efficiency. That’s the job I do. The first day there I was shown the current system for Service Costing (as it’s called in the biz) and asked what I could do to improve it. Almost two weeks later I’ve nearly finished a completely new version of the model. The previous version was suffering from neglect, mainly because updating it with new data was such an unpleasant task. On the other hand, the new system I’ve constructed is designed to streamline the data entry process (or fully automate it, where possible), along with fully automating the data processing, reporting and export processes- components of which I suspect used to take place on a solar calculator.
All together, working at CP has been a very rewarding experience, not only have I learned about Microsoft Access, the internship has been invaluable in helping me learn about how big business IT functions, introduced me to the world of modern railroads, and given me many great experiences I can certainly apply in my future endeavors.
Collin Fair
Hometown: Carstairs, AB
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
August 17 - George KELK Corporation
As I was led around George KELK Corporation on the first day of my internship, the foremost thought in my mind was "wow, these people are really friendly". Two weeks have gone by and that impression hasn't changed.
The members of my department, Information Systems, have been particularly supportive. In between doing their own demanding jobs, they’ve taken the time to show me the ropes and to give me crash courses on topics such as cloud computing and Linux systems.
Of course, when three people are in charge of all that is technological at KELK (seriously, the IS guys are asked to fix anything from networks to toasters) there are bound to be moments when the entire team has rushed off in different directions and I'm left somewhat puzzled in the cubicle. Luckily, the tasks I've been working on mostly rely on organizational skills and are quite independent.
We’ve actually just started what is sure to become an intensive project: completely redesigning the system in which KELK tracks its software. Today, while we waited for the new database to be programmed, I spent most of my time creating ISO images for stacks of CDs. It was a fairly low-key day, punctuated in the middle by a festive company lunch (and I do mean festive: they have rainbow umbrellas!)
There's still over a week to go, but I can already see the outcome of this experience: a working knowledge of computer systems, valuable insight into the real world workplace -- and hopefully, the ability to develop a better maintenance strategy for my home computer than simply thumping it into submission.
Lily Zhang
Hometown: Toronto, ON
The members of my department, Information Systems, have been particularly supportive. In between doing their own demanding jobs, they’ve taken the time to show me the ropes and to give me crash courses on topics such as cloud computing and Linux systems.
Of course, when three people are in charge of all that is technological at KELK (seriously, the IS guys are asked to fix anything from networks to toasters) there are bound to be moments when the entire team has rushed off in different directions and I'm left somewhat puzzled in the cubicle. Luckily, the tasks I've been working on mostly rely on organizational skills and are quite independent.
We’ve actually just started what is sure to become an intensive project: completely redesigning the system in which KELK tracks its software. Today, while we waited for the new database to be programmed, I spent most of my time creating ISO images for stacks of CDs. It was a fairly low-key day, punctuated in the middle by a festive company lunch (and I do mean festive: they have rainbow umbrellas!)
There's still over a week to go, but I can already see the outcome of this experience: a working knowledge of computer systems, valuable insight into the real world workplace -- and hopefully, the ability to develop a better maintenance strategy for my home computer than simply thumping it into submission.
Lily Zhang
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Monday, August 16, 2010
Monday, August 16 - TD Insurance
Today was another busy day as I started my third week with TD Bank Financial Group. It is hard to believe that I am already half way done. Similar to the past two weeks, I woke up at 5:30am and soon after started the one and a half hour commute to downtown Toronto. There was very little traffic and I was able to get to work much faster than normal. I headed to the second floor of the Richmond Adelaide Centre already in a good mood.
At TD Insurance, I am a member of the finance department. At the beginning of each week, all of our team members start with a group meeting where we discuss what was accomplished last week, what needs to be accomplished this week, and any general problems or questions that we may have. With everyone extremely busy with everything that needs to be done, our meeting was soon over and I headed to my desk. What shocked me from the very first day was how completely silent an entire floor can be. Everyone is so focused on what they are working on that the time always passes by surprisingly fast. My day continued with work that I had started last week.
At TD Insurance, I mostly work with excel to put together information on premiums collected. There are several documents that must be updated regularly with all the transactions that occur on a daily basis. With it being quarter end, it is especially busy around here. Each day, I learn how to do a different task and then it is my job to continue doing these tasks for the days to come. It has really opened my eyes to just how much is done in a company. I feel like I am learning so much with the help of my colleagues who always take the time to assist me whenever I am having trouble. Before I knew it, it was already time for me to go. I am truly looking forward to spending my next two weeks with TD Insurance and am so glad with the wonderful experience this has turned out to be.
Livia Pasol
Hometown: Newmarket, ON
At TD Insurance, I am a member of the finance department. At the beginning of each week, all of our team members start with a group meeting where we discuss what was accomplished last week, what needs to be accomplished this week, and any general problems or questions that we may have. With everyone extremely busy with everything that needs to be done, our meeting was soon over and I headed to my desk. What shocked me from the very first day was how completely silent an entire floor can be. Everyone is so focused on what they are working on that the time always passes by surprisingly fast. My day continued with work that I had started last week.
At TD Insurance, I mostly work with excel to put together information on premiums collected. There are several documents that must be updated regularly with all the transactions that occur on a daily basis. With it being quarter end, it is especially busy around here. Each day, I learn how to do a different task and then it is my job to continue doing these tasks for the days to come. It has really opened my eyes to just how much is done in a company. I feel like I am learning so much with the help of my colleagues who always take the time to assist me whenever I am having trouble. Before I knew it, it was already time for me to go. I am truly looking forward to spending my next two weeks with TD Insurance and am so glad with the wonderful experience this has turned out to be.
Livia Pasol
Hometown: Newmarket, ON
Friday, August 13, 2010
August 13 - Working with Impact
The sound of an alarm. A crack of sunlight pouring in and the melody of songbirds. Two minutes later, I’m sitting in a meeting with my colleagues giving a progress report, planning out the projects we’ll be doing over the next week, and bouncing ideas off each other.
After scribbling down more than page of notes, the meeting wraps up and I venture downstairs to—eat breakfast. Have I gained powers of teleportation? Not quite, but I am enjoying one of the many benefits of an internship with Impact Entrepreneurship Group; with members across the entire breadth of the country, meetings are held online, communication is by email, and my home is my office.
Impact is not your normal organization; our assignments are open-ended and we aren’t spoon fed expectations—most of the time we’re given a vague problem and have to find the solutions ourselves. This week, I’ve been working to find the best way put together as much data as possible to evaluate the effectiveness of Impact’s various programs with regard to fostering entrepreneurship and encouraging professional development.
Working directly with Alex Shipillo—Impact’s national president, and another fellow Shad from Carleton, we’ve put together a plan to collect data from a few alumni of Impact’s programs to get an idea of how successful they’ve been since participating.
I’ve found my experience at Impact to parallel that of my experience at Shad. The whole team is open and accepting, personal growth is encouraged, and everyone is actively engaged in furthering Impact’s mission to fuel the entrepreneurial spirit.
This summer has helped develop many parts of my character, and I’ve learned much more than I ever thought was possible. Alex has been playing an active role as a mentor, encouraging me to register a domain name for my blog, giving advice for finding the right university, and showing us what it takes to run an organization like Impact. I’m glad that Shad has allowed me to discover this opportunity, and will definitely be staying with Impact long after the official internship is over.
Bill Mei
Hometown: Mississauga, ON
After scribbling down more than page of notes, the meeting wraps up and I venture downstairs to—eat breakfast. Have I gained powers of teleportation? Not quite, but I am enjoying one of the many benefits of an internship with Impact Entrepreneurship Group; with members across the entire breadth of the country, meetings are held online, communication is by email, and my home is my office.
Impact is not your normal organization; our assignments are open-ended and we aren’t spoon fed expectations—most of the time we’re given a vague problem and have to find the solutions ourselves. This week, I’ve been working to find the best way put together as much data as possible to evaluate the effectiveness of Impact’s various programs with regard to fostering entrepreneurship and encouraging professional development.
Working directly with Alex Shipillo—Impact’s national president, and another fellow Shad from Carleton, we’ve put together a plan to collect data from a few alumni of Impact’s programs to get an idea of how successful they’ve been since participating.
I’ve found my experience at Impact to parallel that of my experience at Shad. The whole team is open and accepting, personal growth is encouraged, and everyone is actively engaged in furthering Impact’s mission to fuel the entrepreneurial spirit.
This summer has helped develop many parts of my character, and I’ve learned much more than I ever thought was possible. Alex has been playing an active role as a mentor, encouraging me to register a domain name for my blog, giving advice for finding the right university, and showing us what it takes to run an organization like Impact. I’m glad that Shad has allowed me to discover this opportunity, and will definitely be staying with Impact long after the official internship is over.
Bill Mei
Hometown: Mississauga, ON
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Public Service Commission – Day 8
After passing the halfway point of my internship with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, I am sure that when my time at the Public Service Commission (PSC) is over, I will have had an amazing experience.
On August 2nd, when I started work, I was unsure of what it would be like. I had no idea what I would be doing. There is another Shad, Zea working here too. We met with Derick and Jay, our supervisors and we discovered that we would be researching and composing a report about why the PSC should target some of its recruitment efforts towards high school students. This report is our main focus.
I’ve realized that being a student working in government is very exciting! Besides the fact that both Zea and I have our own offices, and government email addresses, we get to participate in some interesting events! Last Tuesday, a breakfast reception was held for all Shads working with Newfoundland & Labrador government in St. John’s. This was great as we got to meet two more Shads from different campuses. We learned about what they did at Shad and what their internship entailed. This Tuesday, we Shads met with the premier of Newfoundland, Danny Williams. We talked about Shad and then he addressed the Youth Retention and Attraction Strategy (YRAS). We will be discussing and putting our input into this strategy at a later date. Yesterday was another exciting day. We participated in a True Colours workshop and then a Career Exploration session. It was interesting to learn that my colour/personality is orange, and how to interact with people of the same or different personalities.
Today has been spent in the office, revising the report and researching the YRAS, it seems somewhat uneventful compared to the rest of the exciting week, but it’s interesting nonetheless. It’s been a great experience so far, and I look forward to the days to come.
Myfanwy Price
Hometown: Logy Bay
On August 2nd, when I started work, I was unsure of what it would be like. I had no idea what I would be doing. There is another Shad, Zea working here too. We met with Derick and Jay, our supervisors and we discovered that we would be researching and composing a report about why the PSC should target some of its recruitment efforts towards high school students. This report is our main focus.
I’ve realized that being a student working in government is very exciting! Besides the fact that both Zea and I have our own offices, and government email addresses, we get to participate in some interesting events! Last Tuesday, a breakfast reception was held for all Shads working with Newfoundland & Labrador government in St. John’s. This was great as we got to meet two more Shads from different campuses. We learned about what they did at Shad and what their internship entailed. This Tuesday, we Shads met with the premier of Newfoundland, Danny Williams. We talked about Shad and then he addressed the Youth Retention and Attraction Strategy (YRAS). We will be discussing and putting our input into this strategy at a later date. Yesterday was another exciting day. We participated in a True Colours workshop and then a Career Exploration session. It was interesting to learn that my colour/personality is orange, and how to interact with people of the same or different personalities.
Today has been spent in the office, revising the report and researching the YRAS, it seems somewhat uneventful compared to the rest of the exciting week, but it’s interesting nonetheless. It’s been a great experience so far, and I look forward to the days to come.
Myfanwy Price
Hometown: Logy Bay
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
August 11 - TD Bank Financial Group
After a very tiring day of work, I look back at a day that went by much quicker than normal.
It started with me arriving at a sharp 7:58 AM at the TD Bank office, located in Mississauga. The bus ride in the morning is about an hour, a great time to catch up on sleep. I made my way up to my floor (IT Solutions & Engineering) and casually greeted my manager on the way to my desk.
Immediately, I began working on completing a project my manager had given me earlier in the week. My task was to create an organizational tool for the program within TDBFG that my manager is responsible for. Since the program is rather extensive, the project was rather complicated with all the different connections and relationships that were detailed within it.
By the end of the day, I finished my project, had productive meetings with my manager and others around the office, and even found time for a little socializing. Overall, an ideal day.
Jason Kurian
Hometown: Brampton, ON
It started with me arriving at a sharp 7:58 AM at the TD Bank office, located in Mississauga. The bus ride in the morning is about an hour, a great time to catch up on sleep. I made my way up to my floor (IT Solutions & Engineering) and casually greeted my manager on the way to my desk.
Immediately, I began working on completing a project my manager had given me earlier in the week. My task was to create an organizational tool for the program within TDBFG that my manager is responsible for. Since the program is rather extensive, the project was rather complicated with all the different connections and relationships that were detailed within it.
By the end of the day, I finished my project, had productive meetings with my manager and others around the office, and even found time for a little socializing. Overall, an ideal day.
Jason Kurian
Hometown: Brampton, ON
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
August 10 - McCain Foods
Today was the 12th day of my 6-week work period at McCain Foods in Florenceville, where I am currently interning at the PPTC (Potato Processing Technology Centre), which is in charge of producing French fries and improving the science behind those tiny strips of potato. Having spent more than two entire weeks at this facility already, I did not quite realize until this morning how much my assigned reading and general research had already taught me about microbiology and food science. It only became clear to me when realizing that the bread – which was originally meant to be my breakfast – had moldy spots growing on it, and that I was able to mentally recall the fact that cell walls of mold are composed of cellulose or chitin. This was all still in a state of slumber, yet I almost managed to recall the page number that I read this on in one of my supervisor’s huge microbiology books.
The morning continued as usual: with my music blasted, I embarked on my one-hour drive on New Brunswick’s typical back roads to Florenceville, where I work mainly on ATP testing and occasional processing. With the arrival of a new ATP luminometer, my first task this morning was to prepare materials in the Analytical Lab to complete the second part of one of the protocols I am working on, which is to test three ATP metres’ accuracy and sensitivity (for better comprehension: ATP metres measure the amount of bacterial contamination on a surface by reading the amount of light exerted by microbial energy on a surface swab.) The procedure of my protocol involves measuring pre-set standards of 20, 200, and 2000 femtomoles of ATP (with one femtomole being one millionth of a billionth of a mole) and recording the results shown by the luminometer.
With this procedure taking up most of my morning, lunch came around quickly, and after one hour of relaxed conversation with my co-workers about McCain’s history and whether or not peanut butter was acceptable on bananas, I – fully equipped with a lab coat, safety shoes, and hairnet – joined the people in the processing lab where we work on making earthy potatoes into savoury French fries. With this lab producing for research purposes only, we worked on different methods of preparation and, after all the measuring was done and the final numbers were put into the protocol chart, we tasted the final products and compared our (sometimes humourous) reactions. In between the times when potatoes in all states and forms were moved from one place to the other, there was friendly conversation going on everywhere, and I was pleasantly surprised to hear Merzouk, one of my co-workers, ask me if I spoke any French. What followed was a cheerful conversation in the language I had learned and loved for nearly 10 years, and the afternoon of processing seemed to fly by.
After almost half of my stay here at McCain’s, I can certainly say that I love the amount of knowledge, experience, and amusement this place surprises me with on a daily basis. My co-workers and supervisors are extremely friendly, inclusive, and always ready to answer questions, jump in for help, or, in Cole’s case, patiently explain something for the third time to ensure that I don’t burn myself with fryer oil. I am extremely curious to see what the next 3½ weeks have in store for me!
Rica Konder
Hometown: Millville, NB
The morning continued as usual: with my music blasted, I embarked on my one-hour drive on New Brunswick’s typical back roads to Florenceville, where I work mainly on ATP testing and occasional processing. With the arrival of a new ATP luminometer, my first task this morning was to prepare materials in the Analytical Lab to complete the second part of one of the protocols I am working on, which is to test three ATP metres’ accuracy and sensitivity (for better comprehension: ATP metres measure the amount of bacterial contamination on a surface by reading the amount of light exerted by microbial energy on a surface swab.) The procedure of my protocol involves measuring pre-set standards of 20, 200, and 2000 femtomoles of ATP (with one femtomole being one millionth of a billionth of a mole) and recording the results shown by the luminometer.
With this procedure taking up most of my morning, lunch came around quickly, and after one hour of relaxed conversation with my co-workers about McCain’s history and whether or not peanut butter was acceptable on bananas, I – fully equipped with a lab coat, safety shoes, and hairnet – joined the people in the processing lab where we work on making earthy potatoes into savoury French fries. With this lab producing for research purposes only, we worked on different methods of preparation and, after all the measuring was done and the final numbers were put into the protocol chart, we tasted the final products and compared our (sometimes humourous) reactions. In between the times when potatoes in all states and forms were moved from one place to the other, there was friendly conversation going on everywhere, and I was pleasantly surprised to hear Merzouk, one of my co-workers, ask me if I spoke any French. What followed was a cheerful conversation in the language I had learned and loved for nearly 10 years, and the afternoon of processing seemed to fly by.
After almost half of my stay here at McCain’s, I can certainly say that I love the amount of knowledge, experience, and amusement this place surprises me with on a daily basis. My co-workers and supervisors are extremely friendly, inclusive, and always ready to answer questions, jump in for help, or, in Cole’s case, patiently explain something for the third time to ensure that I don’t burn myself with fryer oil. I am extremely curious to see what the next 3½ weeks have in store for me!
Rica Konder
Hometown: Millville, NB
Monday, August 9, 2010
August 9 - Engineering Science Quest
Today, I finished my 6th day interning as a camp leader at the University of Waterloo's summer camp for kids known as Engineering Science Quest. On my very first day, I was told that I was going to be in a 'floater' position, where I would move from camp to camp helping specific children who needed a little extra help. I was a bit unsure about being in this position because there was no way of predicting what I was going to be doing or what kind of situations I would be faced with. On day one, I was placed into a camp that had lost one of its full time leaders for the day, and quickly realized that being a science and engineering camp leader involved many skills that I had developed and strengthened while being at SHAD. The children who attend ESQ are similar to SHAD's because they are innovative and require a challenge, but when being in a leadership role, it was my duty to provide a suitable mental and psychological playground for the innovators of tomorrow. It was challenging, but what I learned at SHAD helped me to make the experience for so many children educational but most importantly, enjoyable.
I have met so many unbelievable people within the last 6 days, that have influenced me and have pushed me to be a better leader. All of the staff members are very inclusive and they have made my internship so exciting and funny. The most important and influential part of my internship are the children I work with everyday. Every child is so unique and has impacted me in a different way. I had the pleasure of working with a camper who was visiting from Trois-Rivières in Quebec and was only able to speak French. I was able to use the French I learned from attending the bilingual SHAD campus at Université Laval to make an awesome experience for this otherwise isolated camper. I love having the opportunity to play and educate kids everyday because seeing smiles and hearing laughter is the best kind of reward. I look forward to the rest of my internship and all the future friendships I will make!
Olivia Godwin
Hometown: Waterloo, ON
I have met so many unbelievable people within the last 6 days, that have influenced me and have pushed me to be a better leader. All of the staff members are very inclusive and they have made my internship so exciting and funny. The most important and influential part of my internship are the children I work with everyday. Every child is so unique and has impacted me in a different way. I had the pleasure of working with a camper who was visiting from Trois-Rivières in Quebec and was only able to speak French. I was able to use the French I learned from attending the bilingual SHAD campus at Université Laval to make an awesome experience for this otherwise isolated camper. I love having the opportunity to play and educate kids everyday because seeing smiles and hearing laughter is the best kind of reward. I look forward to the rest of my internship and all the future friendships I will make!
Olivia Godwin
Hometown: Waterloo, ON
Friday, August 6, 2010
August 6-Boehringer Ingelheim Canada
After only a week into my Shad internship, this experience has already opened my eyes to the world of pharmaceutical research and work ethics in general. Boehringer Ingelheim Canada, my new employer, treated me the same as any other potential researcher from my very first day of work. To begin with, I had a two-part selection interview. At my age, I can count the number of interviews I have had on one hand – with a few extra fingers! Even if I hadn’t been selected for the internship, I would still have gained that useful professional experience. But, fortunately, I was selected and got the job. So, for the past week, I have been getting up early, leaving home, and heading out on the highway to my job.
Every day I get to meet someone new in a different section of the laboratories. And each researcher has taught me something new, whether it be some scientific facts, how to find valuable data on different websites that I had never heard of before, or simply how to be patient as you wait for a robot to pour various substances into test tubes. I feel extremely lucky that Shad provided me with this opportunity and for the next two weeks I will do my best to take full advantage of this experience.
Claire Coulombe
Hometown: Montreal, QC
Every day I get to meet someone new in a different section of the laboratories. And each researcher has taught me something new, whether it be some scientific facts, how to find valuable data on different websites that I had never heard of before, or simply how to be patient as you wait for a robot to pour various substances into test tubes. I feel extremely lucky that Shad provided me with this opportunity and for the next two weeks I will do my best to take full advantage of this experience.
Claire Coulombe
Hometown: Montreal, QC
Thursday, August 5, 2010
August 5 – My PQA Internship
Just one week after Shad, I find myself in yet another month long program, the Shad internship experience. I’m working at Professional Quality Assurance Ltd. (PQA) along with two other Shads. This internship was my first interaction with Shad students from other campuses. Every moment we had we compared our campuses, and we found out that there are significant differences. From projects, to curfew, to lunches, to activities, all of the campuses have their own way of doing things. Despite this, all of the Shads leave with the same incredible experience.
PQA is in the business of software testing and content creation such as designing E-learning software and other projects. My internship allows me to get a taste of all of this. Along with important tasks given to us throughout the day, we get the opportunity to shadow employees from different departments. They show us a little of what they do, and we ask questions about it and if they have the time, they will even teach us about Flash, Photoshop and other fun programs.
Our lunchroom is equipped with the inevitable fridge, oven and microwave, but it also has pool table, air hockey and foosball. We definitely make the most of our 1-hour lunch breaks.
All in all, day 2 of the internship was a great learning experience and I’m looking forward to many more in the weeks to come.
Alex Deslongchamps
Hometown: Fredericton, NB
PQA is in the business of software testing and content creation such as designing E-learning software and other projects. My internship allows me to get a taste of all of this. Along with important tasks given to us throughout the day, we get the opportunity to shadow employees from different departments. They show us a little of what they do, and we ask questions about it and if they have the time, they will even teach us about Flash, Photoshop and other fun programs.
Our lunchroom is equipped with the inevitable fridge, oven and microwave, but it also has pool table, air hockey and foosball. We definitely make the most of our 1-hour lunch breaks.
All in all, day 2 of the internship was a great learning experience and I’m looking forward to many more in the weeks to come.
Alex Deslongchamps
Hometown: Fredericton, NB
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
A Smooth Transition from Shad to Hatch Engineering
Today is my fifth day at Hatch Engineering in Saskatoon. Hatch is global engineering consulting company with over 8000 employees worldwide, including around 140 within the Saskatoon branch. The office building, which is located on the University of Saskatchewan campus, is quite beautiful. Like all Hatch employees, I am normally stationed at my desk in a cubicle. My fellow employees at Hatch are intelligent, diligent and enthusiastic – not unlike Shads
Hatch’s main branch of work in Saskatoon is a potash mine located in Colonsay, Saskatchewan. This mine is being upgraded dramatically, and most of the office is currently engaged in the project. Here at Hatch, over 100 employees work in different teams to tackle a specific aspect of the project. This team-orientated approach is also similar to Shad Valley. Also, just as Shad Valley campuses across Canada come together in October, Hatch Saskatoon regularly collaborates on projects with Hatch offices throughout Canada and the world. My role within all of this is in the “Systems and Process Control” group. To be honest, I’m not exactly sure what that means, but I expect to learn more in the weeks that follow.
The first day at Hatch I was presented with a 75-page document, “Potash Primer”. Essentially, this primer was written to inform people, such as myself, of the process of potash mining. My job was to edit the document and identify sections that I have trouble understanding. I took pleasure in reading it and learned a great deal. Then, that afternoon I attended a Hatch party for new employees hired in the previous three months. After a very informative presentation on Hatch is all about, I had the chance to socialize and indulge in the snacks and drinks laid out. The next day, my second, I started job shadowing. The shadowing has thus far been the most rewarding part of my new job. I was most intrigued by the computer software that the engineers utilize to model their designs. Additionally, job shadowing offered me another opportunity to meet more people around the office. Since job shadowing, the real work has begun and I have been busy with various tasks. Today I spent the day filing, which despite being tedious work, is a necessary duty within all companies.
It is a pleasure to work at Hatch, and I am indebted to Shad and Hatch for the opportunity. The people here are very welcoming and are always willing to answer my questions or to assist me when needed. This month I hope to apply some of what I’ve learned at Shad Valley and offer my best to Hatch.
Nick Gibb
Hometown: Saskatoon, SK
Hatch’s main branch of work in Saskatoon is a potash mine located in Colonsay, Saskatchewan. This mine is being upgraded dramatically, and most of the office is currently engaged in the project. Here at Hatch, over 100 employees work in different teams to tackle a specific aspect of the project. This team-orientated approach is also similar to Shad Valley. Also, just as Shad Valley campuses across Canada come together in October, Hatch Saskatoon regularly collaborates on projects with Hatch offices throughout Canada and the world. My role within all of this is in the “Systems and Process Control” group. To be honest, I’m not exactly sure what that means, but I expect to learn more in the weeks that follow.
The first day at Hatch I was presented with a 75-page document, “Potash Primer”. Essentially, this primer was written to inform people, such as myself, of the process of potash mining. My job was to edit the document and identify sections that I have trouble understanding. I took pleasure in reading it and learned a great deal. Then, that afternoon I attended a Hatch party for new employees hired in the previous three months. After a very informative presentation on Hatch is all about, I had the chance to socialize and indulge in the snacks and drinks laid out. The next day, my second, I started job shadowing. The shadowing has thus far been the most rewarding part of my new job. I was most intrigued by the computer software that the engineers utilize to model their designs. Additionally, job shadowing offered me another opportunity to meet more people around the office. Since job shadowing, the real work has begun and I have been busy with various tasks. Today I spent the day filing, which despite being tedious work, is a necessary duty within all companies.
It is a pleasure to work at Hatch, and I am indebted to Shad and Hatch for the opportunity. The people here are very welcoming and are always willing to answer my questions or to assist me when needed. This month I hope to apply some of what I’ve learned at Shad Valley and offer my best to Hatch.
Nick Gibb
Hometown: Saskatoon, SK
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Tuesday, August 3rd: Let the adventure continue...
So here I am, almost two weeks after Shad ended, back in my hometown of Corner Brook, Newfoundland. From falling victim to Shad withdrawal like so many others, I really had felt like the Shad experience was sadly over. Despite this however, I soon realized that my Shad adventure would in fact continue as my internship start date was fast approaching.
On the morning of August 2nd I excitedly jumped out of bed to begin my long anticipated internship with the Government of Newfoundland & Labrador. When I arrived, I was given a warm introduction to the friendly staff and an excellent overview of what exactly the division does within the government. I was going to be employed in the Transportation and Works department working with engineers, designers and inspectors to assist in the process of constructing new government building in the Western Region of Newfoundland.
After settling into my assigned desk area, my supervisor Stephen who is a mechanical engineer, informed me that I was going to be traveling to the neighbouring community of Stephenville to see a construction site and what actually takes place behind the scenes. We ended up visiting one of the public colleges in the area. My supervisor gave me a tour of the area and exposed me to a large amount of the work they currently were completing on the project. It included installing new plumbing and other utilities throughout the facility.
During my second day of the internship position, I was once again given the opportunity to visit the future home of another government building in a nearby community called Hampden. Dennis and Debbie my additional supervisors brought me to the construction site where they taught me many things such as the art of surveying which is used to determine the desired elevation measurements in an area. In addition, I also learned how to perform perspiration tests to determine how long it takes liquids to seep into the ground. Our field days were very exciting and it was fantastic to actually participate in real “hands on” work.
Overall, my internship so far has been an excellent experience and helped me gain a much greater appreciation for the work that engineers and designers do in our communities. From the awesome experiences I have had so far, I truly believe that this position will be very educational and rewarding for me. I am very grateful and thankful for the opportunity to be able to participate in this internship program within the Transportation and Works Department of the Government of Newfoundland & Labrador.
Rahul-dev Singh Kalsi
Hometown: Corner Brook, NL
On the morning of August 2nd I excitedly jumped out of bed to begin my long anticipated internship with the Government of Newfoundland & Labrador. When I arrived, I was given a warm introduction to the friendly staff and an excellent overview of what exactly the division does within the government. I was going to be employed in the Transportation and Works department working with engineers, designers and inspectors to assist in the process of constructing new government building in the Western Region of Newfoundland.
After settling into my assigned desk area, my supervisor Stephen who is a mechanical engineer, informed me that I was going to be traveling to the neighbouring community of Stephenville to see a construction site and what actually takes place behind the scenes. We ended up visiting one of the public colleges in the area. My supervisor gave me a tour of the area and exposed me to a large amount of the work they currently were completing on the project. It included installing new plumbing and other utilities throughout the facility.
During my second day of the internship position, I was once again given the opportunity to visit the future home of another government building in a nearby community called Hampden. Dennis and Debbie my additional supervisors brought me to the construction site where they taught me many things such as the art of surveying which is used to determine the desired elevation measurements in an area. In addition, I also learned how to perform perspiration tests to determine how long it takes liquids to seep into the ground. Our field days were very exciting and it was fantastic to actually participate in real “hands on” work.
Overall, my internship so far has been an excellent experience and helped me gain a much greater appreciation for the work that engineers and designers do in our communities. From the awesome experiences I have had so far, I truly believe that this position will be very educational and rewarding for me. I am very grateful and thankful for the opportunity to be able to participate in this internship program within the Transportation and Works Department of the Government of Newfoundland & Labrador.
Rahul-dev Singh Kalsi
Hometown: Corner Brook, NL
Monday, August 2, 2010
August 3 – NB Power
Today was my very first day at my internship at NB Power. The morning was mostly orientation, signing forms and going through the ethic book and company website. I must admit, we have a pretty awesome website!
I worked with Joannie Bradshaw for most of the day, as she will be my main supervisor for the duration of my time here. She manages the balanced scorecard for the company, as well as several other important tasks! She showed me around the floor that we are on (3rd floor), and to everyone’s offices and she told me what each person is responsible for (I met quite a lot of people, but a few people were away on vacation for the week). She also took me to the call centers on both sides of our floor, and she showed me where the emergency calls are answered (for power outage emergency, extreme water heater problems, etc.). I got to see the lounge on our floor, the cafeteria downstairs, and communications/payment center downstairs in the front lobby. Joannie also took me for a drive to show me where to park during the day! I am currently situated in Rachel Norrad’s office for the week since she is away (I used to do gymnastics with her daughter), and I was given my own laptop (not to keep of course, hehe). After lunch I was set to work on a utility research assignment (comparing the customer service measurements for the different power companies across the country), for the rest of the day.
For tomorrow, Joannie has planned for me to sit with a person from the call center so that I can listen in on what goes on through that perspective. As well, she arranged for me to sit out front and observe what goes on in the payment center. Personally I can't wait for tomorrow, it should be a great day.
Nikole Watson
Hometown: Oromocto, NB
I worked with Joannie Bradshaw for most of the day, as she will be my main supervisor for the duration of my time here. She manages the balanced scorecard for the company, as well as several other important tasks! She showed me around the floor that we are on (3rd floor), and to everyone’s offices and she told me what each person is responsible for (I met quite a lot of people, but a few people were away on vacation for the week). She also took me to the call centers on both sides of our floor, and she showed me where the emergency calls are answered (for power outage emergency, extreme water heater problems, etc.). I got to see the lounge on our floor, the cafeteria downstairs, and communications/payment center downstairs in the front lobby. Joannie also took me for a drive to show me where to park during the day! I am currently situated in Rachel Norrad’s office for the week since she is away (I used to do gymnastics with her daughter), and I was given my own laptop (not to keep of course, hehe). After lunch I was set to work on a utility research assignment (comparing the customer service measurements for the different power companies across the country), for the rest of the day.
For tomorrow, Joannie has planned for me to sit with a person from the call center so that I can listen in on what goes on through that perspective. As well, she arranged for me to sit out front and observe what goes on in the payment center. Personally I can't wait for tomorrow, it should be a great day.
Nikole Watson
Hometown: Oromocto, NB
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