Blog Contributor: Erica Harper
After Mikellena Nettos graduated from her undergrad at Brock with a Minor in Environmental Sustainability as well as Dramatic Arts, she began her journey in the Master of Sustainability program’s co-op stream. Mikellena successfully secured a summer co-op at Canada Post Corporation in Real Estate, Facilities Management, Environment and Sustainability.
Fun fact: She is the first Brock co-op student to work at Canada Post!
Throughout the summer months, Mikellena has been busy working on many interesting projects, including:
- Engaging local post office staff across the country to improve awareness and execution of environmental and sustainability responsibilities related to building maintenance.
- Collecting, coding, and analyzing primary data to inform management decision making.
- Successfully presenting research results and practical recommendations to the national Real Estate team and senior management.
- Collaborating with other departments to develop and present potential solutions and a business case to improve rural recycling in Alberta, displaying active problem-solving skills and communication skills.
- Researching various ESG reporting software for user friendly, comprehensive waste data management purposes.
Since Mikellena’s projects have included data analysis, she says that the Research Methods course she took in the Master of Sustainability program really helped her to organize and communicate her findings. She also added that “excel tips will become your best friend in the professional field” and that “the critical thinking skills I learned from my master’s program are very effective for problem solving in the real world”.
In terms of how her co-op role enriched her understanding of sustainability, Mikellena states,
“I have really learned so much about the environmental side of sustainability. For example, how important building maintenance can be, not only for the environment but also for human health. If a fuel storage tank isn’t serviced or inspected frequently and has a leak – that could significantly damage the surrounding environment and even pollute drinking water. It is very interesting to see how connected our buildings, including our homes, are to the well-being of humans and the environment.”
Congratulations to Mikellena on securing a great co-op experience – we can’t wait to see all the great things you achieve within and beyond the Master of Sustainability program!
