Liam Shatzel (computer science)
When Liam Shatzel (he/him) was choosing a university, he zeroed in on UVic's co-op program in computer science. The chance to put his skills into action during his degree was a deciding factor, and being able to attend school on an island didn't hurt. As someone who grew up in Sacremento, California, he was also excited to make the most of UVic's smaller campus vibes.
Liam soon found the perfect place to grow his skills when he was hired as a software developer co-op student with Motorola Solutions in Vancouver. He spent eight months writing and testing production code for the company, using languages from C++ to TypeScript.
Embracing hands-on learning
Liam worked as part of the Ecosystems Solution Team, alongside Senior Manager Lawrence Tam. Lawrence assigned Liam to a range of projects, including one that uses video for license plate recognition, and another that handles video streaming.
"Liam was a key member of the team and showed tremendous dedication," says Lawrence. As a graduate of the co-op program at Simon Fraser University, Lawrence landed a full-time job directly after his work experience and he's a major advocate of the program.
"Co-op programs deliver a pipeline of talent to the company," he says. "They provide the team a fresh perspective and give our employees the chance to mentor and lead a junior employee to success."
Working as part of a team
For Liam, the opportunity to learn from other employees was paramount. "I think the biggest surprise about my work is how much responsibility I was given.
Despite being a co-op student, I feel like a full-time developer and genuinely part of the team. It has been great for seeing where my strengths and weaknesses are and applying the skills I've learned through my courses in an industry environment."
Making a positive impact
Liam is also proud of how the his co-op projects are contributing to the world around him.
"With Motorola Solutions being a security and safety company, its very inspiring to know my work is going to have a positive impact on the community," he says. "I hope to one day start my own company that can have a positive impact on the world. Until then I hope to continue working on code that goes toward the greater good."
The value of co-op
As he returns to the classroom, Liam is excited to bring his real-world experience.
"Co-op is a great way to get industry experience and an idea of what life will look like after graduation. I could definitely see myself doing a similar role in the future so it's great to get a preview and see the payoff of taking classes and what the work for this degree is going towards."
Learn more
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- More about computer science co-op and health information science co-op
- How to hire a co-op student