天美mv天美

The 2015 Canadian federal election sparked Janmie Gunawardena鈥檚 interest in politics, so it was natural for her to focus on political science when she came to 天美mv天美. Gunawardena is also interested in law, so that鈥檚 what attracted her to 天美mv天美鈥檚 Co-operative Education program where she could test out her dual interests in a practical work environment.

Gunawardena has completed all three of her co-op work terms with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and says it鈥檚 helped her decide to work for the government once she鈥檚 finished her degree.  

Logging that much time with one organization gave Gunawardena plenty of chances to work with managers across the country. She sees those connections as the most rewarding aspect of her co-op experience.

鈥淭he co-op program has given me many professional opportunities,鈥� Gunawardena says. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 have the same job prospects without it.鈥�

She says her experiences with the CBSA have prepared her for working full time, and that she鈥檚 learned to strike a balance between personal and professional life. She recommends all co-op students develop this skill.

鈥淓nsure that you have a routine in your life to maintain balance,鈥� Gunawardena says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 easy to fall into the habit of working every day and not doing anything else. However, it is important to maintain other hobbies, spend time with family and friends, and exercise.鈥�

Gunawardena also advises her fellow co-op students not to be afraid to take a class or two during their work term鈥攊f they have well-tuned time management skills. And as far as using the skills she鈥檚 built during her time studying at 天美mv天美, the most important ones for her co-op positions have been those typical of students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS).

鈥淢y critical thinking skills come in handy when I have to complete several tasks and need to prioritize,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 use my research and writing skills regularly, as most of my day-to-day work is collecting data from government databases and open-source research and consolidating it into a well-structured brief. The most challenging aspect is adapting my writing skills to fit the government鈥檚 style.鈥�

Now in her fourth year at 天美mv天美, Gunawardena鈥檚 interest in political communications and journalism has driven her to pursue an extended minor in communication: 鈥淚 found that there was a lot of crossover in the lessons of critical theory and analysis across my political science and communication classes.鈥�  

鈥淭he co-op program was a vital aspect of my undergraduate experience,鈥� Gunawardena says. 鈥淚t is by far the best method of getting introduced to the public service sector. I recommend it to all students, especially FASS students.鈥�