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About the annual awards

Each year, UVic recognizes students and employers who have gone above and beyond through their participation in co-op.

Co-op students are nominated by their employers and co-op coordinators and are selected from our three major program areas, including Business, Engineering and Computer Science (ECS), and Optional and Professional Programs (OPP).

Co-op employers are nominated by their students and co-op staff for their outstanding efforts to mentor and support student learning.

Co-op Student of the Year recipients

This year’s recipients are making a difference across the country in their work in LEED-certified construction, environmental assessment, long-term patient care and the video game industry.

Isabel de Verteuil, MBA (Business category)

Isabel de Verteuil has a dual passion for the environment and data management and found a co-op work term that incorporated both while working as a strategic planning analyst co-op student with the . The MBA student designed ways to assess the organization’s progress towards its strategic goals and created an organization-wide data management plan. De Verteuil made the most of her co-op experience by initiating coffee chats with members on her team and within the larger BC Public Services. Her enthusiasm was noticed; she was nominated for the BC Public Service Student Employee of the Year Award. She’ll join KPMG’s Environmental, Social and Government team this May.

My co-op term was a critical part of my MBA. It introduced me to work I’m incredibly passionate about—helping organizations design and implement sustainable and impactful strategy—and gave me the confidence that I could pursue a career in that work.”

Isabel de Verteuil, MBA

Ethan Barillaro, civil engineering (ECS category)

Civil engineering co-op student Ethan Barillaro knows how to make a positive impression—he landed a co-op work term with coveted co-op employer . Barillaro was hired to work on LEED-certified plans for a new HandyDart Bus Station in Victoria. He helped procure and set up agreements with trades and vendors and was a stand-out employee recognized for his initiative and positivity. He also offered support to fellow students who applied to work at Bird, leading to 7 students being placed over the past two terms. Bird is hoping to hire Barillaro for a second work term so that he can continue to take part in the HandyDart project

The co-op program allows you to see the purpose of the academic side of school. I recommend any student, within any field, to participate in the co-op program as it gives you an idea of whether or not the career is for you or not.”

Ethan Barillaro

Toby Murray, software engineering, entrepreneurship work term (ECS category)

When Toby Murray chose software engineering at UVic, he had big dreams of applying his education to break into the video game industry. So when he started planning for a co-op work term, he took a leap to become his own boss and launched . Murray reached out to UVic grad Dylan Gedig, founder of , who acted as his mentor. During his co-op term as a game studio owner, Murray launched a marketing plan and fine-tuned a playable demo of his game called Random Access Mayhem (RAM). Murray has been an incredible advocate of entrepreneurial co-op, presenting to students about his experiences in classes, forums and to student clubs.

The opportunity to pursue an entrepreneurial co-op had a major impact on my ability to start my company. I encourage anyone with drive and an idea to make use of the support provided by the university, and see that idea realized to the fullest.”

Toby Murray

Nina Kanapi, MEd, educational psychology (OPP category)

When Nina Kanapi, a mother of two with thirteen years of teaching experience, moved to Canada from the Philippines to pursue her Master of Education in Educational Psychology, she brought a strong passion for education and years of volunteer work creating developmental programs for youth with neurodivergent abilities and therapeutic teaching for families with terminally ill members. She completed her first co-op at Broadmead Care Society (BCS), a non-profit long-term care home for seniors, veterans, and adults with disabilities. Kanapi became the first co-op student at BCS to lead quality improvement projects, designing tools that are now used as performance success indicators. She leveraged her experiences and studies, focusing on equity, diversity, and inclusion to ensure her approach to program delivery aligns with the organization's philosophy of person-centered care.

My co-op term at Broadmead Care was transformative, shifting my focus from classroom teaching to senior care and adult education. It ignited my passion for community development, emphasizing meaningful support and promoting person-centered care for those who have made immense contributions and continue to build our collective history. This experience has guided my career toward a future where I can make a meaningful difference."

Nina Kanapi

Co-op Employer of the Year recipients

This year's award-winning employers, recognized in five categories, include a tie for employers with more than 50 employees, along with new co-op employers (hiring for less than five years), employers with fewer than 50 employees, international partners, and special recognition for outstanding support.

Thornhill Medical (New co-op employer)

The team at Thornhill Medical are changemakers in the biomedical field. As leaders in creating unique medical devices that transform diagnostic and therapeutic patient care, they also actively hire emerging talent. So when a UVic student reached out to Thornhill’s Manager of Electrical and Firmware Engineering Kirusha Srimohanarajah, P. Eng. with the hope of connecting with their dream employer, it’s no surprise that it turned into a co-op opportunity. Thornhill has since hired two UVic students and Srimohanarajah has become a dedicated UVic partner, regularly traveling to UVic from Toronto to guest lecture at UVic, take part in mock interview clinics and panel sessions, and lead information sessions with biomedical students. Supervisors like Kirusha are also making a major difference during work terms by empowering students to lead projects and fostering a supportive and collaborative team environment.

As a co-op employer, you can change someone’s life forever. Bridging the gap between the classroom and industry is a passion of mine. My desire in life is to inspire and equip the next generation of medical device engineers. If I can help them develop the experience to feel like they can contribute, then I will have succeeded.”

Kirusha Srimohanarajah, P. Eng. and co-op grad

Focal (Employer with under 50 employees)

Mentorship is a key ingredient to a successful co-op experience, and the team at Focal has it down to a fine art. Founded by UVic commerce and software engineering alumni Lachlan Shum and his business partner Jason Mah Ming in 2018, Focal develops website and booking platform software that provides professional photographers around the world with an online marketplace. Since 2020, the company has hired 12 commerce, writing and visual arts students in 14 co-op work terms.

I think what’s so special about hiring students is that early on in their careers, they aren’t sure what they’re capable of yet—a student’s first few work experiences will shape their self-perception."

Students are reaping the benefits of this approach and describe Lachlan as 'a leader who listens' and someone who encourages learning from mistakes.

Lachlan Shum

Learn more about co-op

• Learn how co-op works
• apply to join co-op as a student
• see how to become a co-op employer

Have you had an amazing co-op experience? See how to nominate the next Co-op Student of the Year or Co-op Employer of the Year.