Arts Co-op highlights student and employer success at annual awards ceremony

On Jan. 27, the Arts Co-op team hosted the annual Arts Co-op Student and Employer of the Year Awards Ceremony in the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking’s Collision Space. The event brought together more than 40 award recipients and guests to celebrate the achievements and dedication of Arts Co-op students and employers.

This year, 26 students and 25 supervisors were nominated across three categories: On-Campus, Off-Campus Large Organization (500+ employees), and Off-Campus Small/Medium Organization (fewer than 500 employees). A diverse panel of six judges volunteered their time to review the nominations. Awards were presented by Dr. Charles Tepperman, PhD, associate dean of Communities, recognizing both winners and honourable mention recipients in each category.

For students, the Co-op program offers meaningful professional experience, skill development, and opportunities to build lasting relationships — benefits reflected in the word of this year’s student winners. 

Valeriya Mynak, the student winner of the On-Campus category, described her placement at Global Affairs Canada as “the best eight months of my life.” Ivana Borkovic, an honourable mention recipient in the Off-Campus Large Organization category, shared that working with her “dream team” felt like “everything I’ve ever asked for in my life.”

Employers also highlighted the value Co-op students bring to their organizations through fresh perspectives and new ideas. Jane Dafoe, winner of Employer of the Year (Off-Campus Small/Medium Organization), shared her experience working with Haemin Heo, Co-op student and her nominator, describing their time together as a uniquely collaborative experience where “we kept her on her toes, and she kept us on ours.”

The ceremony emphasized the lasting impact of co-operative education in fostering student growth and strengthening partnerships between the university and employers.

2025 Students of the Year Awards

On-Campus

• Winner: Maria Garces Tejada, nominated by Rochelle Lamoureux, Student Success Centre
• Honourable Mention: Olivia Anscombe, nominated by Stephen Ewart and Jo Ann Johnston, School of Public Policy
• Honourable Mention: Alexander Pagels, nominated by Heather Ramshaw, Campus Food Hub, Centre for Career and Personal Development

Off-Campus, Large Organization

• Winner: Valeriya Mynak, nominated by Nicole Harbauer and Lolita Shaila Safaee Chalkasra, Global Affairs Canada
• Honourable Mention: Ivana Borkovic, nominated by Leila Fenc, Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation
• Honourable Mention: Liam Hill, nominated by Randy Heilman, Suncor

Off-Campus, Small/Medium Organization

• Winner: Mokhamed Eloyfi, nominated by Alastair McLaughlin, Micro Engineering Tech Ltd.
• Honourable Mention: Amara Crowell, nominated by Jenna Adams, Obsidian Energy Ltd.
• Honourable Mention: Victoria Jang, nominated by Jung Chul Nam, J NAM Immigration Consulting Ltd.

2025 Employers of the Year Awards

On-Campus

• Winner: Rochelle Lamoureux, nominated by Maria Garces Tejada, Student Success Centre
• Honourable Mention: Stephen Ewart and Jo Ann Johnston, nominated by Olivia Anscombe and Vidara Pathiraje, School of Public Policy
• Honourable Mention: Tomi Ogeye, nominated by Grace McCue, Centre for Career and Personal Development

Off-Campus, Large Organization

• Winner: Dan Gibb, nominated by Akane Fujiwara, AltaLink
• Honourable Mention: Sinéad Hurley, nominated by Ianna Grafil, Spartan Control
• Honourable Mention: Calvin Shum, nominated by Sadia Afroz, The City of Calgary

Off-Campus, Small/Medium Organization

• Winner: Jane Dafoe, nominated by Haemin Heo, The PREP Society
• Honourable Mention: Amanda Bates, nominated by Leon Shpigel, COLLECTIVE Culture + Communication
• Honourable Mention: Alastair McLaughlin, nominated by Mokhamed Eloyfi, Micro Engineering Tech Ltd.