Did you know that MSVU is home to the longest-standing accredited co-op program in the Maritimes and the second highest number of co-op students in Nova Scotia? In fact, every undergraduate program at MSVU has a co-op, internship, work experience, or practicum opportunity attached.
For more than 45 years, MSVU co-op students have contributed to the success of organizations in the corporate, government and non-profit sectors across the country and internationally.
The MSVU Co-op Student of the Year Award was established in 1999 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of co-operative education and it continues to be awarded annually. The recipients have demonstrated academic achievement and community involvement, contribution to their employer, and growth through the co-op experience.
To mark CEWIL Canada’s National Work-Integrated Learning Day (March 26), we’re thrilled to spotlight our latest MSVU Co-op Student of the Year Award winners.
Casey Oakey-O’Grady – Business Administration Co-op Student of the Year
Nominated by employer Deanna Struthers, MSVU Department of Business and Tourism
“I have gotten to know Casey better over her second work term and continue to be impressed with her work ethic, initiative, and positive demeanour. One of her main responsibilities was managing the Learning Passport Program, an essential component of our student engagement strategy. This term, she handled this task independently without requiring any direction. Additionally, she supported me with the Tourism Education Alliance of the Maritimes (TEAM) Dinner and Auction, the department’s annual fundraiser event, which hosted 200 guests just one week after the 50th Learners & Leaders Conference. Her contributions were crucial to the success of both events.
She understood the magnitude of the Learners & Leaders Conference and she offered to work during the summer of 2024 [to get an early start on planning]. She organized all the foundational work necessary to obtain many of the industry professionals, she helped set the agenda, put together sponsorship packages, and she developed social media marketing strategies among other things. When Casey officially started with us in August, her work had guaranteed that we were so far ahead of schedule that the months of September and October, while still very busy, did not have that frantic edge and as such we were all much less stressed than in past years, especially given this was a 50th anniversary conference.” – Deanna Struthers, MSVU Department of Business and Tourism
Jaclyn Bourque – Public Relations Co-op Student of the Year
Nominated by employer Heather d’Entremont, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
“Jaclyn’s second co-op placement with us came at a good time, as CFIA’s Atlantic Communications team has been responding to the detections of two oyster diseases in Atlantic Canada – including one that has never been detected in Canada before now. This has resulted in a significant amount of work, tight deadlines, and strategic coordination with other government departments – all with information and circumstances that were fast evolving.
To support this, Jaclyn drafted a communications action plan, media lines, a public statement, and responses to media calls for these sensitive, high-profile issues. These tasks were usually assigned with very short notice and became the top priority. She took on these tasks with no trouble and was able to re-organize her own workload and negotiate deadlines with her clients for other non-urgent items.
Jaclyn’s contributions to our small team’s outputs significantly helped us move faster and more strategically – something that is crucial when responding to emerging animal diseases. We consistently received excellent (and unprompted!) feedback from CFIA senior management regarding Jaclyn’s work, her friendly and positive attitude, as well as her professional demeanour.” – Heather d’Entremont, Canadian Food Inspection Agency