What did a typical day or week look like in your role?
We are currently preparing for September’s Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Month. Because of the amazing success we achieved in 2025, we are moving from World Mitochondrial Disease Week to Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Month.
This includes our annual major event: Walk n Roll for Mito, a one-day event that happens in Mississauga and Winnipeg, Light Up for Mito in Victoria, BC, as well as several municipal governments proclaiming the month and landmarks across Canada lit up in green for mitochondrial disease awareness.
As an Event Coordinator, I am responsible for reaching out to municipalities across Canada for their support through proclamations and landmark light-ups, businesses to support our cause, and third parties who are interested in holding events in their hometowns. I then keep in touch with our team regarding updates on all the above, attend meetings with third parties and ensure everything is up to standard.
On the day of the event, I’m responsible for registration and recording offline donations, which is done on the Canada Helps fundraiser website. Almost everything needs to be recorded and written for it to be reviewed by the board of directors after the events are over by October.
In addition to all the above, I also conduct research, compiling suitable locations and businesses that would be interested in supporting our event and what we do in our community. Then, I contact our third-party contacts who are interested in hosting events of their own and help them out with any logistics. We have a charity pickleball tournament called Dinks for a Difference, in late July in Calgary. I’m responsible for reaching out to businesses in Calgary for the silent auction. I will also be leading one of the multi-day events this year with our third-party contacts in Hamilton! Overall, I’m pleased that my work contributes to the organization’s operations.
Which skills do you feel you developed through your experience in this co-op work term?
As an Event Coordinator, you need to be able to handle logistics and monitor everything, which is why certain skills are so important to develop. The top three skills I have been developing are record-keeping, organizational skills and oral and written communication. I’m also building my project management skills and learning how to manage my time better.
How did this co-op work term shape your career planning? What is your career/field of interest? How did this role help support your career goals?
I’m interested in going into workplace/occupational health and safety, so being part of a registered health organization that supports individuals with rare diseases like mitochondrial disease has helped me professionally. I am a Social Sciences student who has always felt inspired to help change lives and shine a light on the most pressing issues in our community.
Working in a non-profit charity has helped me learn so much about Canada’s non-profit sector and has empowered me to make a change every day, thanks to the inspiring individuals I work with who power through and give hope to others, even when it’s difficult to feel hopeful.
I hope to grow more as a person, worker and community member who carries great values and uses that to make significant changes in our community.
What would you tell other students considering a co-op or internship work experience?
I would tell them all work is good and honourable work. Students in first year may have a different, not broader, mindset about how they picture themselves in the workplace. Furthermore, considering a co-op or internship experience in the current labour market is a big step, and it can seem scary for someone doing it for the first time. I would support students throughout their journey, while also reminding them that work can look different for everybody. Being open to new experiences is what university and life are all about, especially in the Social Sciences, because that is how we learn to navigate the communities we live in as well as ourselves.
Careers & Experiential Education