After I was accepted as an engineering assistant for the Christie Digital internship, I was sure that I would gain a LOT of experience in engineering. By the end of the month, I was right. I had amassed a whole load of experience by reading up on projector optics at my cubicle and conducting color spectrum experiments. It was difficult the first week because I had no idea how a projector functions, but I did my best and was able to complete my tasks.
On my first day at Christie Digital, I had a tour of the building with my supervisor. I quickly found that Christie Digital is massive! They have several labs, a production floor, a marketing office, an engineering office, workout rooms, and a cafeteria. I was so overwhelmed with the amount of employees and the size of the building. On the first day, my first task was assigned to me and I was working with one of the optics engineers.
My task was to compare 2 new colorimeters with the old colorimeter currently being used within the facility. I had to quickly read up on the color spectrum and luminance to understand the basics and background of my experiments. The Christie Digital environment inspired me to take initiative to complete my tasks. Most of my supervisors were in several meetings every day, so I had to make do with the time and resources I had.
By the end, I had made great friends with university co-op students and gained valuable advice for university after my grade 12 year. I feel that I have gained so much from the Christie Digital experience because it helped me understand a little bit more of the science behind a business and the fast paced and busy environment of a work place. Therefore, I would recommend the summer internship to every Shad student.
Matt Kirby
Christie Digital
Kitchener, ON
Shad Internships 2011
This blog captures the Shad August internship experience. Each day different interns describe their endeavours, and the Shad community gets an inside look at what Shad students do in their summer roles.
Friday, September 2
Thursday, September 1
September 1
This August, I had the opportunity to work as an intern at Xerox Research Centre Canada. Xerox Research Centre Canada is Xerox's main materials research facility and is, as I discovered, home to all sorts of chemical and scientific innovation. I took part in a Materials Integration lab, performing a variety of tests and experiments to evaluate the durability and properties of experimental types of ink. I found the month to be a highly enjoyable learning experience.
From the first day of my internship to the last, I was pleased and excited to be a part of an environment of top-tier scientific innovation. The first thing I noticed in the front lobby was the wall titled "Xerox Research Centre Canada's Top Innovators," which celebrates the researchers to receive their 50th and 100th patents. Walking down the hallways of the building, I would pass by countless labs with scientists scurrying about in lab coats.
I am thankful to my supervisor and the employees in and out of my lab who were very helpful and supportive. My supervisor guided me along the numerous projects he was working on, and was always willing to answer any questions I had. The other employees in my lab were very friendly and more than happy to show me what they were up to.
As a student with a strong interest in science and technology, this has been a wonderful experience and an exhilarating glimpse into the world of scientific research. I am definitely going to miss my month at XRCC!
Greg Chen
Xerox Research Centre of Canada
Thornhill, ON
From the first day of my internship to the last, I was pleased and excited to be a part of an environment of top-tier scientific innovation. The first thing I noticed in the front lobby was the wall titled "Xerox Research Centre Canada's Top Innovators," which celebrates the researchers to receive their 50th and 100th patents. Walking down the hallways of the building, I would pass by countless labs with scientists scurrying about in lab coats.
I am thankful to my supervisor and the employees in and out of my lab who were very helpful and supportive. My supervisor guided me along the numerous projects he was working on, and was always willing to answer any questions I had. The other employees in my lab were very friendly and more than happy to show me what they were up to.
As a student with a strong interest in science and technology, this has been a wonderful experience and an exhilarating glimpse into the world of scientific research. I am definitely going to miss my month at XRCC!
Greg Chen
Xerox Research Centre of Canada
Thornhill, ON
September 1
It is my penultimate day at my internship with Benbria. Benbria is a startup high-tech company in the Kanata Research Park. Benbria designs notification services, and has also developed a talkback IP speaker.
The first thing you have to know about Benbria is that there are many interns. Almost half the people present are interns, most of them from University. The environment is quite relaxed, with interesting discussions occurring everywhere.
As an intern, I am doing the testing of Benbria's notification system. I test their web application, which is used to automatically send notifications to multiple people at once. I write and test test cases, as well as programming scripts that allow the test cases to be run autonomously.
Benbria is a great place to work. Everyone is very nice and helpful, and they are all great people to talk to. As well, we often go out to lunch or dinner, or even rock climbing, on company expense.
This internship has been a great opportunity for me to learn about the workings of the high tech sector. Thank you Benbria and Shad Valley for providing me with this wonderful opportunity.
Bryan Wu
Benbria
Ottawa, ON
The first thing you have to know about Benbria is that there are many interns. Almost half the people present are interns, most of them from University. The environment is quite relaxed, with interesting discussions occurring everywhere.
As an intern, I am doing the testing of Benbria's notification system. I test their web application, which is used to automatically send notifications to multiple people at once. I write and test test cases, as well as programming scripts that allow the test cases to be run autonomously.
Benbria is a great place to work. Everyone is very nice and helpful, and they are all great people to talk to. As well, we often go out to lunch or dinner, or even rock climbing, on company expense.
This internship has been a great opportunity for me to learn about the workings of the high tech sector. Thank you Benbria and Shad Valley for providing me with this wonderful opportunity.
Bryan Wu
Benbria
Ottawa, ON
September 1
It’s my second last day of working at MTS Allstream Inc. Even though it takes me about an hour to arrive at their Etobicoke office for Technology Development, I’m excited to come to work everyday. On the first day, I was assigned a major project to develop a barcode reader android application to improve the inventory within the company. My product will be used extensively to help keep track of the company’s devices with the simple tap of a button. Being able to work at my own pace and tackle the problems on my own definitely challenged me, but I’ve still had a lot of fun in the process.
One of the best things about this internship is the people. Even though everyone is working on his or her own projects, I’ve found that the internship still gave me an opportunity to meet new people. During this month, I have had lunch with the President of MTS Allstream Inc., Dean Prevost, as well as my bosses and some of the employees. Getting this time to get to know the people within the company made me feel more welcomed and made this experience that much more valuable.
Truthfully, I’m extremely sad to leave this workplace. I will never forget the time that I’ve had and the knowledge that I’ve learned from MTS Allstream. I wish every day would be like this one.
Thank you MTS Allstream Inc. for this amazing opportunity, I never imagined working for a company could be this much fun!
Sarah Tan
MTS Allstream Inc.
Toronto, ON
One of the best things about this internship is the people. Even though everyone is working on his or her own projects, I’ve found that the internship still gave me an opportunity to meet new people. During this month, I have had lunch with the President of MTS Allstream Inc., Dean Prevost, as well as my bosses and some of the employees. Getting this time to get to know the people within the company made me feel more welcomed and made this experience that much more valuable.
Truthfully, I’m extremely sad to leave this workplace. I will never forget the time that I’ve had and the knowledge that I’ve learned from MTS Allstream. I wish every day would be like this one.
Thank you MTS Allstream Inc. for this amazing opportunity, I never imagined working for a company could be this much fun!
Sarah Tan
MTS Allstream Inc.
Toronto, ON
Wednesday, August 31
August 31
I know for a fact that I am, and will forever be, grateful to the Shad Valley program for giving me a wide array of opportunities this summer. I have been able to open my eyes to new possibilities, learn new skills and undertake new challenges that I never thought were possible. And just when I thought that Shad Valley could not possibly do any more for me, they decided to prove me wrong by giving me yet another unforgettable experience: an internship at Medtronic of Canada for five whole weeks.
In simple terms, Medtronic, Inc. is a world leader in medical technology and innovation; a company that is extremely passionate about helping patients from around the world live better lives. My role at this innovative and prestigious company involved working on Public Relations projects, conducting research on key health reporters of various publications in Canada, research on social media audits, as well as compiling databases and reports of my findings. In addition, I was also entrusted with the planning and organization of an Open House of Medtronic for the Shad Valley alumni of 2011. The event entailed a tour of the numerous interesting sustainability features of the building, presentations by a few speakers, including the President of Medtronic of Canada, as well as fascinating simulators of medical technology. This was one of the most important and engaging projects that I worked on this month, and my efforts paid off with the event becoming a huge success, if I may say so myself. I have also been given the chance to appear on the news and the radio as a result of this event, and as a passionate actor, this exposure to the media world was very exciting.
Not only is my role one of great interest and appeal, the working environment that was allotted to me is also very friendly and welcoming. This was brought about mainly by my fellow co-workers, all of whom had a part to play in making me feel welcome every day of the month. One of my co-workers is also a Shad Valley alumni; Dheevesh Arulmani is a Carleton Shad and together, we have dealt with our lack of Shad Valley during the month of August. While he works on projects regarding a topic that is completely different (economic assessment of health technology), we have worked in the same office and kept each other company for the entire month. My boss has also greatly helped and supported me during this month, providing valuable life lessons at every turn and giving me an amazing working experience. Not only is she very instructive and knowledgeable, she is also fun, energetic and engaging; this being very obvious when she decided to take me on a amazing field trip to a camp for children with various heart conditions.
It is sad to know that these are my final days at Medtronic; I have learnt a lot during my month here at Medtronic and will greatly miss these offices. Having been given a taste of the corporate world, I feel like I understand myself and my working habits more than I ever did. I would like to extend a special thanks to my boss and everyone who helped provide this opportunity and make this an amazing experience for me.
Aaron Vincent
Medtronic of Canada
Mississauga, ON
In simple terms, Medtronic, Inc. is a world leader in medical technology and innovation; a company that is extremely passionate about helping patients from around the world live better lives. My role at this innovative and prestigious company involved working on Public Relations projects, conducting research on key health reporters of various publications in Canada, research on social media audits, as well as compiling databases and reports of my findings. In addition, I was also entrusted with the planning and organization of an Open House of Medtronic for the Shad Valley alumni of 2011. The event entailed a tour of the numerous interesting sustainability features of the building, presentations by a few speakers, including the President of Medtronic of Canada, as well as fascinating simulators of medical technology. This was one of the most important and engaging projects that I worked on this month, and my efforts paid off with the event becoming a huge success, if I may say so myself. I have also been given the chance to appear on the news and the radio as a result of this event, and as a passionate actor, this exposure to the media world was very exciting.
Not only is my role one of great interest and appeal, the working environment that was allotted to me is also very friendly and welcoming. This was brought about mainly by my fellow co-workers, all of whom had a part to play in making me feel welcome every day of the month. One of my co-workers is also a Shad Valley alumni; Dheevesh Arulmani is a Carleton Shad and together, we have dealt with our lack of Shad Valley during the month of August. While he works on projects regarding a topic that is completely different (economic assessment of health technology), we have worked in the same office and kept each other company for the entire month. My boss has also greatly helped and supported me during this month, providing valuable life lessons at every turn and giving me an amazing working experience. Not only is she very instructive and knowledgeable, she is also fun, energetic and engaging; this being very obvious when she decided to take me on a amazing field trip to a camp for children with various heart conditions.
It is sad to know that these are my final days at Medtronic; I have learnt a lot during my month here at Medtronic and will greatly miss these offices. Having been given a taste of the corporate world, I feel like I understand myself and my working habits more than I ever did. I would like to extend a special thanks to my boss and everyone who helped provide this opportunity and make this an amazing experience for me.
Aaron Vincent
Medtronic of Canada
Mississauga, ON
August 31
Hmm... how to describe what I did at Indigo Books and Music this August? Here’s the simplest way:
Wanted: Website Fix-It Girl, Online Production Department
Needs to be able to:
- Proofread product descriptions in the Lifestyle and Paper shops in both English and French for consistency;
- Download numerous album cover images to ensure a complete listing of Indigo’s music library;
- Create product lists and sidebars for the “redesign” of the Indigo website; and
- Format rules and regulations of the current contests.
Indigo offers:
- Flexible hours;
- Friendly staff who are willing to teach and advise;
- Great downtown Toronto location with a short commute; and
- Professional yet relaxed atmosphere.
With only two more days left, it’s hard to believe my four weeks went by so fast. Thank you to all of my coworkers for your support and encouragement – it was a pleasure to work with you and I learned so many valuable lessons! Best of luck in September!
Claire Browne
Indigo Books and Music
Toronto, ON
August 31
Though my internship ended almost a week ago, I was still seen today leaving the offices of Japan Canada Oil Sands Ltd. (JACOS), contented and with my arms full. In fact, they were full with assorted computer components and even a laptop; my (now former) boss had them laying around at home and was more than willing to give them to me, a known computer tinkerer.
Yet, one month ago I had left that same office nervous and distressed; could I really live up to their expectations? Would I really feel welcome here? Could I survive to the end of the month? On the first day I was given "the tour" and assigned to the IT department, directly working under and sharing the office of the IT lead. My task had sounded simple: "Inventory," they had said. I thought that all I had to do was to visit supply rooms and count boxes.
Well, I was wrong. Before they hired me, they'd known all about my inclinations towards programming and so they decided to put me to the test. From scratch, I planned, designed and implemented a MySQL database with an MS Access + VBA front-end that would keep track of which employees had what equipment, what software and components were installed on each computer, when equipment leases and licenses expired, etc. This, of course, required me to learn the aforementioned technologies first - but you have to start somewhere, right? I spent the first three weeks either hunched over a keyboard coding, furiously reading, yelling questions across the room, or wandering the office when I'd had enough of the screen; I spent the last week replacing cables and chatting with the employees as I scurried between the three floors populating my database with relevant information.
Though a lot of my learning and work was self-directed, my boss and the other employees were always willing to share their knowledge, expertise and assistance when I asked for it. If I needed reference books or software, the company would put it in my hands within a day or two. I felt my experience there gave me a taste of corporate culture and how technology is used and supported in the business world (which is very different from what hobbyists and enthusiasts do at home).
My internship, like Shad, was another avenue for personal growth and I feel that it was well worth the time.
Julian Salazar
Japan Canada Oil Sands Ltd.
Calgary, AB
Yet, one month ago I had left that same office nervous and distressed; could I really live up to their expectations? Would I really feel welcome here? Could I survive to the end of the month? On the first day I was given "the tour" and assigned to the IT department, directly working under and sharing the office of the IT lead. My task had sounded simple: "Inventory," they had said. I thought that all I had to do was to visit supply rooms and count boxes.
Well, I was wrong. Before they hired me, they'd known all about my inclinations towards programming and so they decided to put me to the test. From scratch, I planned, designed and implemented a MySQL database with an MS Access + VBA front-end that would keep track of which employees had what equipment, what software and components were installed on each computer, when equipment leases and licenses expired, etc. This, of course, required me to learn the aforementioned technologies first - but you have to start somewhere, right? I spent the first three weeks either hunched over a keyboard coding, furiously reading, yelling questions across the room, or wandering the office when I'd had enough of the screen; I spent the last week replacing cables and chatting with the employees as I scurried between the three floors populating my database with relevant information.
Though a lot of my learning and work was self-directed, my boss and the other employees were always willing to share their knowledge, expertise and assistance when I asked for it. If I needed reference books or software, the company would put it in my hands within a day or two. I felt my experience there gave me a taste of corporate culture and how technology is used and supported in the business world (which is very different from what hobbyists and enthusiasts do at home).
My internship, like Shad, was another avenue for personal growth and I feel that it was well worth the time.
Julian Salazar
Japan Canada Oil Sands Ltd.
Calgary, AB
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