Did you know that MSVU is home to the longest-standing accredited co-op program among Nova Scotia universities? This year, that program turns 45!
Since 1979, the MSVU co-op team has connected thousands of students with valuable work-integrated learning opportunities and helped them launch successful careers across the public, private and non-profit sectors. In fact, several of MSVU’s very own faculty and staff (like Communication Studies professor Dr. Amy Thurlow and soon-to-be-retired AVP of University Relations Kelly Gallant) are graduates of MSVU’s co-op programs.
Today, MSVU’s co-operative education offerings have grown to include business administration, public relations and tourism & hospitality management. The Co-op Office also administers the arts and science internship programs, and the public relations and tourism & hospitality management work experience programs. This means that every single undergraduate degree at MSVU now has a work-integrated learning opportunity attached.
Over the years, MSVU co-op, internship and work experience students have excelled in the workplace. Not only have these opportunities given students a leg up in their careers upon graduation, but they’ve also benefitted their co-op employers across Canada and even internationally.
To celebrate this major milestone, the MSVU co-op office is sharing the stories of co-op graduates through the decades. Meet some of these impressive alum below, and check back for more stories to be shared throughout the rest of 2024.
Meet Tammy Alamrieh, BPR ’16
McDonald’s Canada
As the Head of Government and Public Affairs for McDonald’s Canada – a company that employs almost 100,000 Canadians and serves 1.6 million people every day in over 1,400 restaurants – Tammy oversees a team with the goal to drive impact and enhance brand trust with government stakeholders. In this capacity, she has played an instrumental role in navigating complex regulatory and political landscapes with proactive government strategies addressing critical industry issues such as sustainability, labour standards, taxation, and more. Additionally, Tammy works with various stakeholders to optimize the company’s grassroots system of franchisees, suppliers, and business partners.
Tammy’s career has extended across various sectors, including technology, pharmaceuticals, the private sector, non-profits, and finance. She holds a master’s degree in political management from the Clayton H. Riddell Graduate Program at Carleton University and a bachelor’s degree in public relations from MSVU. After graduating from the Riddell program, she worked for National Public Relations in Ottawa and Argyle Public Relations in Toronto where her clients included Meta (formerly Facebook Canada).
Meet Tharmini Arulramalingam, BBA ’2015
Scotiabank
Tharmini Arulramalingam is a Senior Financial Advisor Scotiabank, based in Halifax.
She completed her Bachelor of Business Administration degree with concentrations in Accounting and Information Technology in 2015. Tharmini completed her co-op work terms at O’Regan’s and Scotiabank. Her experience with both the automotive and banking industries helped her decide where she ultimately wanted to go in her career. Tharmini secured a position with Scotiabank at the end of her degree program and has since taken on a more senior role with the company.
She says that MSVU’s small class sizes helped her to hone her public speaking and presentation skills, which have built up her confidence and helped her shape a successful career.
Tharmini encourages current students to embrace work-integrated learning opportunities so that they can become familiar with the job market before they graduate.
Meet Adam Bower, BTHM ’03
The Grand Banker Bar and Grill and Brigantine Inn in Lunenburg
Adam Bower’s career in the food and beverage industry has come full circle and he couldn’t be happier. Now the owner of The Grand Banker Bar and Grill and Brigantine Inn in Lunenburg, Adam worked there from 1998 to 2002 as a busboy, server and eventually assistant manager, while attending MSVU. That early foray into the restaurant business convinced Adam that food service was the industry for him.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Tourism & Hospitality Management degree, Adam headed west to be a manager at the prestigious Fairmount Jasper Park Lodge Luxury Resort in Alberta. After four years out west, the call of the Atlantic brought him back to Nova Scotia as Food & Beverage Manager at the Delta Hotels in downtown Halifax.
After almost ten years working in the demanding but rewarding environment of a large hotel, and a shorter stint in a managerial role at The Halifax Club, an opportunity to purchase a landmark Lunenburg restaurant presented itself. In 2017, under Adam’s leadership, the Grand Banker was awarded the “Restaurant of the Year” by Taste of Nova Scotia.
Adam has most recently opened Lunenburg’s first craft brewing company, Shipwright Brewing Company, in 2018. In 2020, he purchased the Old Fish Factory restaurant on the waterfront in Lunenburg; the 250-seat restaurant which is the largest in town, located in the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic. In 2023, Adam opened his third restaurant, Shipwright Brewing Taproom + Pizza, which has 25 taps with all Nova Scotia products including his own beer, and specializes in gourmet signature pizzas.
Adam employees over 140 staff in peak season. He is also a CAPS (Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers) trained sommelier, and sits on many industry boards, including Taste of Nova Scotia and the Restaurant Industry of Nova Scotia. He’s been a part-time instructor at MSVU, and loves getting back on campus and continuing to be a part of the university that has done so much for his career.