As an undergraduate student who decided to switch my degree from psychology to communication on a whim, I was very nervous about my future career path, especially since I felt like I was the only person that had no big dreams in life. Therefore, I decided to apply to Co-op to start piecing together my goals and ambitions.
When I received the call that held the offer for my Co-op position, I immediately accepted thinking that I can't risk this opportunity. My new role as an Event Coordinator was my first professional job, and I quickly began to feel nervous. I thought to myself, will I be a good worker? Will I succeed in this role I know very little about? Is this even what I want to pursue? My nerves were quickly settled after my first day on the job, as I was engulfed by the most amazing team. The individuals within the organization I work at are not only kind, but they are motivational, supportive, and BADASS. I did not work at any ordinary company - I had the privilege to work among a group of people that foster a safe, inclusive, and fun environment through the art of roller skating.
As an Event Coordinator, I also could work from the comfort of my own home while also being able to attend and work at the events I helped plan. In this role, I gained experience in a little bit of everything which was so great since I got to find out what interested me the most. The feeling can be compared to elective rotations in high school, getting to work on a variety of tasks that in the end, would help me navigate my interests in the field. Whenever my supervisors asked me if I wanted to take on a new task, I always said yes! I wished to build my skillset by working on a diverse range of projects. I found that one of my favorite things to work on was social media and content creation. There is something about creating an amazing poster for an event and seeing it plastered all over the walls at work as well as online that made me feel accomplished.
Apart from what one may call “professional opportunities”, the opportunity that I would have never thought I would get through a co-op position in a million years was presented to me: free roller skating lessons! This was an opportunity I could not pass on, so I decided to take an introductory course. After this lesson, I became more confident on skates, was able to roller skate while I worked at events, and even gave insight to guests who needed help skating! Moreover, working at the events was the most amazing experience! Not many Co-op students can say that they got paid to roller skate! I was able to throw on a pair of skates and roll around the rink capturing content for our social media pages as well as simply enjoying myself.
As my Co-op term comes to an end, I can say that I now have ambitions and goals within my career path that I aim to achieve. I suddenly feel excited to graduate and continue my education to achieve those dreams I didn’t have 4 months ago. I never thought working as an Event Coordinator for my first Co-op position would help me find the light in the darkness. This is for all those students who are in the same position I was in earlier and uncertain about their educational goals or career ambitions. My experience goes to show that taking any opportunity you get, might just lead you to success.
