The Winter 2023 recipients of the Co-op/Internship Rising Star Student Awards displayed a unique blend of enthusiasm, creativity, and a strong work ethic, says Kristen Morris, manager of co-operative education and workplace partnerships.

The awards are presented each term by co-operative education and workplace partnerships within the office of experiential learning to recognize the exceptional contributions and impact co-op students made during their work terms.

“Amazing things can happen when you bring together talented co-op students like our rising star winners and great employers who give them the opportunity to apply what they are learning in the classroom to real-world projects,” says Morris. “This year’s winners not only gained valuable experience, but were also able to contribute to their company’s culture with fresh perspectives and innovative solutions.”

The award recipients are:

Aarsh Makwana, Master of Applied Computing Co-op
Makwana completed a work term at Rogers Communication as a technology co-op, where he worked to help streamline operations and enhance the accuracy of asset data. During his time there, he developed and designed an automation tool that reduced operational expenses by $50,000.

Nathan Brockenshire, Mechanical Engineering Automotive Co-op
Brockenshire completed a work term as a manufacturing engineer co-op at Vista, where he was responsible for providing production support and managing projects. He was able to manage complex tasks including overseeing the set-up, production launch, and troubleshooting of an initiative that led to annual cost savings of over $100,000.

Natalie Adam, Human Kinetics Co-op
Adam completed a work term at Centre of Health and Human Performance as a human performance assistant, where she made significant contributions to the health, wellbeing, and athletic performance of more than 400 Lancer athletes, and worked on four research projects for the American College of Sports Medicine Conference, the largest sports conference in the world.

Sabrina Sawan, Electrical Engineering Co-op
Sawan completed a work term at Agriculture and Agrifood Canada where she made significant contributions to the Naurvik project, which built a vertical farm inside a shipping container to address the challenges faced by Indigenous communities in Nunavut.

Ian Trepanier, Business Administration and Computer Science Co-op
Trepanier completed a work term as a systems and technology assistant at the University of Windsor’s Office of Enrolment Management where he excelled in high-level data management, including leading a global database migration.

The co-operative education and workplace partnerships office congratulates the award recipients and all nominees for their contributions to the University of Windsor’s co-op and internship programs, Morris says.