The Ted Rogers Co-op Connect Program is a mentorship program aimed at preparing the next generation of co-op students while giving current co-op students the opportunity to lead, support and build on their own skills. The goal is to establish and facilitate strong and meaningful relationships within the Ted Rogers Co-op community.
Senior co-op students are paired with a pod of new/junior co-op students to provide peer-to-peer support and mentorship. Throughout the program, senior co-op students/mentors receive exclusive mentorship opportunities to further develop their professional and personal skill sets.
To further develop a relationship with external mentors, Ted Rogers Co-op Connect launched a partnership with industry representatives and alumni in 2024/25, where these professionals could provide one-to-one mentorship to senior Ted Rogers Co-op students, on a professional and/or personal development level.
Over the 2024/25 academic year, nine industry representatives participated in mentoring Ted Rogers Co-op students, spanning across industries such as financial services, energy/utilities, technology, human resources, retail management and marketing. Ted Rogers Co-op Connect plans to continue offering students an opportunity to be paired with industry mentors in the upcoming 2025/26 school year. If you’re interested in getting involved in Ted Rogers Co-op Connect, please fill out our form.
Here is what a few students said about their experience participating in the program:
Paired with Pauline Marcial (Global Management Studies ’20)
Associate Vice President, Franklin Templeton
My mentorship experience is going great with Pauline so far. She has provided some insights and ideas of the sales industry that I did not previously consider. Pauline shared with me what sales is about and her career in sales throughout the meeting. The most valuable aspects of my mentorship experience are that my mentor is able to show me some examples of the sales cycle that she is doing in the company and her day-in-the-life routine, which deepens my knowledge in sales.
— Stanley Siu (5th year, Global Management Studies)
Pauline has been amazing! Her insights have opened my eyes to many things I hadn’t thought about before. We’ve had two meetings already, and I take notes each time because I don’t want to miss a piece of advice. What I love most is hearing about her personal journey because it feels relatable. It’s nice to listen to someone who’s walked a similar path to the one I’m on now, so it feels like Pauline gets where I’m coming from and where I want to go. Communication has been great as well. Pauline is very engaging and responsive, and setting up our meetings has been hassle-free.
— Alexandra Myszkowski (5th year, Marketing Management)
Paired with Neal Sengupta
Manager, Internal Audit, Ontario Power Generation (OPG)
I had a truly rewarding experience working with Neal as a mentor. His guidance was instrumental in helping me navigate the transition from student to professional. Neal works at OPG, where I completed my co-op placement and later received a full-time offer. Over the past four months, his support, through bi-weekly check-ins, personal and professional advice, and a strong mentor-mentee relationship has been invaluable and reassuring.
— Matthew Evans (5th Year, Marketing Management)
Paired with Ivan Chau (Human Resources Management & Organizational Behaviour ’17)
Human Resources Consultant & Career Coach, Chau Down
The Co-op Connect Program was an amazing opportunity to hear from industry mentors, especially my mentor Ivan. He talked to me about how to stand out in the corporate world and emphasized the importance of reaching out to employers beyond the regular resume application process. He highlighted how being proactive takes you a step further in building and maintaining connections, and truly conveys the message about going the extra mile. His advice definitely helped me and boosted my confidence in networking and touching base with employers. It was a great opportunity that I would recommend to anyone.
— Ojima (Nicole) Amego (2nd Year, Human Resources Management & Organizational Behaviour)
Paired with Abbas Nasser (Business Technology Management ’23)
Business Analyst/Scrum Master, Manulife
Through my experience with Abbas from Manulife, I gained invaluable industry insights. A key takeaway for me was having a mentor with industry experience can provide essential insights on how to navigate the job market and make strategic decisions that can set you apart in your career.
— Ahmad Bilal (3rd year, Business Technology Management)
