Award recognizes life-changing co-op experience

Released: February 17, 2022 | Last Updated: February 25, 2022

Story Co-operative Education and Careers School of Arts and Science

Matthew Hicks, winner of the 2021 Yvonne Thompson Page Co-op Student of the Year Award.

Hicks, a second-year Arts and Psychology student is studying social sciences to begin his career in the field of social work.

"Congratulations to Matthew and all of this year's co-op education winners," says Camosun President Dr. Lane Trotter. “Our co-op students always go the extra mile by exceeding their field of study and doing whatever they can to help our community.”

Each year the Applied Learning, Co-operative Education, and Career Services department selects a student to receive the YTP award which recognizes an outstanding co-operative education or internship student at Camosun.  

“I was impressed and grateful to see so many incredible nominees for this award!” says Claudia Sperling, Director of Applied Learning, Co-operative Education and Career Services. "It was hard to pick an overall winner because everyone has such a great story to tell. However, Matthew did an outstanding job on his work term and has been a champion for diversity and inclusion at Camosun and within the ministry.”

“As a mature student, I came into Camosun with a dream of beginning a new chapter of my life, and with that came a lot of fears and anxieties. However, cooperative education has had a monumental impact on my career development; it offered me invaluable resources and training in areas such as professional resume building, the interview process, and networking.”

- Matthew Hicks

As a 43-year-old father and husband, Hicks suffered a life-changing event when he sustained a workplace injury that led him to leave his long-term career as an electrician. After being confronted with an uncertain future, he decided to take a leap of faith and attend college. While he always knew that he wanted to find a career path more oriented towards what his heart wanted, he was worried that it might not be the right decision for him.

“As a mature student, I came into Camosun with a dream of beginning a new chapter of my life, and with that came a lot of fears and anxieties. However, cooperative education has had a monumental impact on my career development; it offered me invaluable resources and training in areas such as professional resume building, the interview process, and networking,” explains Hicks. “In fact, without networking, I would have never even known about the co-op opportunity with BC Public Service.” 

An interview supported by the co-op department led to Hicks obtaining a position the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction (SDPR). During this time, he found the opportunity to share his lived experiences and education with the Ministry and his fellow students.

“Matt brought a great deal of knowledge and experience to the team specifically related to his studies at Camosun,” says Ted Wallbridge, senior manager at SDPR. “He shared his experience and learning with the entire team, helping to improve our client-centered service delivery focus.” 

By participating in a work term at SDPR, Hicks was able to further focus on his interests and develop a plan for his future career. Through a combination of classwork in Psychology and Social Work and his real-world experience helping individuals with disabilities through the Ministry, he decided that pursuing a career in Social Work was right for him. With a firm goal set, he was now able to get the most from his co-operative education work terms and put into practice skills that are essential for success in the field.

“Receiving this award is a great moment of pride for me, but to be honest, the real reward is already in my hands, and I am experiencing it every day. I feel it every time I see the excitement in the face of a young person,” says Matthew. “I now have confidence in myself that I am going to achieve my goal of becoming a social worker no matter what challenges I might have to face. This is the true reward for me, and I am enjoying every second of it.”

School recipients of the YTP Co-op/Internship Student of the Year Award

• Overall Co-op/Internship Student of the Year and Arts & Science Co-op/Internship Student of the Year: Matthew Hicks
• Co-op/Internship Student of the Year - Business: Madeleine Beach
• Co-op/Internship Student of the Year - Technology: Motria Iwan
• Co-op/Internship Student of the Year - Hospitality Management: Jimena Marin
• Co-op/Internship Student of the Year - Centre for Sport and Exercise Education: Julianne Daniels