Project Assistant – UBC Department of Wood Science
Over the summer, I worked as a Project Assistant in the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship’s Wood Science lab at UBC. My main role has been to support the professors with various projects. Currently, I’m building a bat house for the bats living in Stanley Park – I’ve already finished a prototype and had a meeting with the project team, where they kindly shared some suggestions for improvements. I’m now making updates based on their feedback. Alongside this project, I also help the lab with smaller tasks, like making pushing sticks for safety when using machines, and crafting a plaque for our retired former Dean.
I believe Co-op has been an invaluable experience beyond the classroom. It’s helped me develop practical problem-solving skills and hands-on abilities that textbooks simply can’t teach. More importantly, working in a Co-op placement not only deepens my understanding of wood materials and wood product manufacturing, but also greatly improves my interpersonal and communication skills.