Michelle Yang knew she wanted to make an impression as a co-op student.

But she didn’t expect her work as a Reporting and Analytics Intern at Equinix to reshape how an entire team approached decision-making.

“When I first started, I saw how much time was spent manually compiling reports, and I knew there had to be a better way,” said the fourth-year Business Administration student, who was named Brock University’s Co-op Student of the Year alongside MBA student Mannat Singh and fourth-year Psychology student Shadaé Brown as part of the 2024 CCEE Awards.

Her solution was a centralized reporting dashboard which streamlined key performance indicators (KPIs), integrating data from multiple sources. What once took hours was now available in real time, allowing leadership to make quicker, more informed decisions.

“That was a defining moment for me,” Yang said. “Not only was I solving a problem, but I was also helping my team work smarter.”

Yang, who worked on a global team, had to adapt quickly to new technologies and corporate workflows. In addition to analytics, she took on leadership roles, onboarding full-time employees and launching an Intern Connect program that provided networking and development opportunities.

Her ability to step up and lead didn’t go unnoticed.

“Michelle didn’t just meet expectations, she exceeded them,” said her supervisor Taylor Baddick, Equinix’s Manager of Sales Insights and Analytics. “Her work led to action plans that helped our team solve smarter and run simpler.”

Yang’s journey mirrors that of the two other co-op students recognized this year: Mannat Singh and Shadaé Brown. While their paths were different, all three found ways to leave lasting impacts in their workplaces.

For Singh, Brock’s Graduate Co-op Student of the Year, making an impact meant embracing new challenges head-on. The MBA student spent her work term at Hydro One, joining the Capital Delivery Model – Centre of Excellence team, where she played a critical role in project approvals and workflow management.

One of her major accomplishments was creating an Excel dashboard that helped optimize workload management and later supporting the development of dynamic Power BI dashboards. These tools improved efficiency and allowed for better resource allocation within the company.

But Singh’s contributions extended beyond analytics. She joined Hydro One’s co-op committee where she helped organize social and networking events, which saw attendance double over time. She also volunteered with Employee Resource Groups, immersing herself in workplace culture.

Brown, Brock’s Undergraduate Co-op Student of the Year, has spent much of her university career championing equity, advocacy and mental health support.

As a Relief Counsellor at Gillian’s Place, a shelter for survivors of domestic violence, Brown took on emotionally demanding work.

Throughout her time at Brock, she has tackled issues related to anti-Black racism, anti-ableism and mental health, critical topics shaping conversations both on campus and in the wider community.

Her dedication to advocacy is evident in her work with Brock’s Inclusive Education Lab and Youth Development Lab, her role on the President’s Advisory Committee on Human Rights, Equity, and Decolonization (PACHRED), and her work as a Mental Health Team Lead and Peer Health Educator, where she supported student well-being for two years.

Brock also recognized students across experiential programs for their outstanding contributions. Med Plus student Milaina Wong and Law Plus student Charlie Martin were each celebrated for their dedication to professional development.

The EE Student of the Year Group Award was presented to Team Europe, a group of five students brought together by their shared international backgrounds. Carlos Kley, Jakob Kräutle, Laurenz Kuna and Kathryn Daly are students in the BBA Co-op Double Degree program from Germany and Ireland, while Luisa Neidhart is a German exchange student.