Category: Bayview Glen News

During July 2023, a dozen Bayview Glen students participated in a co-op education experience, facilitated by BVG’s Student Services Department in collaboration with external organizations. 

 
Mount Sinai hospital in downtown Toronto served as the backdrop for one placement. A second unfolded at a research lab at the Toronto Zoo. A third experiential opportunity came courtesy of Qvella, an international clinical diagnostics company headquartered in Richmond Hill, Ontario.  

That’s where Grade 11 student Brandon Tai chose to spend a month, observing, listening and learning about the latest in microbiology technology, among other areas. 

Brandon shares highlights of his experience and its impact in his own words: 

What made you want to take the Cooperative Education course?  

Currently, in Grade 11, I am considering both the Computer Science and Business fields. By participating in this programme, I wanted to gain valuable experience from professionals. By working collaboratively with professionals, I was able to gain knowledge and skills that I could not learn in a classroom. For example, by working with professionals at Qvella, I was able to learn concepts and knowledge pertaining to supply chain management that are not taught in business/economics courses here at Bayview Glen. Furthermore, I wanted to join this course so I could gain an understanding of what the business field is like and determine whether or not this is a job I want to pursue in the future.   

What drew you to the specific industry in the placement you chose?  

Although supply chain management is predominantly business focused, I decided to choose this industry because I would be able to engage in Computer Science and Business, which are two of my passions. Moreover, I chose this industry because I would be able to gain brief insight into both fields. For example, I had the opportunity to take a look at the engineering drawings for each part of the Qvella FAST (Field Activate Sample Treatment) Machine, while also helping fill out NCR and PO Line reports.   

How would you describe the application preparation process, prior to your interview?  

The Cooperative Education course prepares you extremely well for the application process. Every Friday we had class, and the very first unit was on preparing for the application. We went through interview and resume tips as well as cover letters. This unit significantly helped me land my placement at Qvella.   

What has surprised you most about your placement?  

 What surprised me the most at my placement is the amount of parts that are used to create the system. On my first day walking into the warehouse, I was extremely surprised to see all the cables, nuts, bolts, and circuit boards that make up this one unit — especially after I was required to do an inventory count for every item in the warehouse, I was able to see the number of parts that Qvella stores in their warehouse!  

Could you provide some examples of things you have learned that have impacted you?  

I used Microsoft Excel for various aspects of supply chain management including creating BOMs. BOMs stands for bill of materials. It is a document which contains a comprehensive inventory of materials, assemblies as well as quantities required to create a specific part of the product. By creating BOMs I have been able to develop my Excel skills, which will allow me to use these skills in classes and in future jobs. I was also able to go into the cartridge assembly room and see how each cartridge is made.  

Additionally, I also had the opportunity to talk to other interns and learn about their university experience. For example, I got to talk to a Computer Science student at Waterloo and I was able to learn about the program itself and the overall culture at the university. This information will help me decide which university I will be attending in the fall of 2024.   

Has this experience influenced your outlook (career, future)? If so, in what ways?  

After this co-op experience, my goals have changed a little bit. Prior to this program, I intended to pursue a career in Computer Science/Engineering. However, after completing this programme I have realized that I should consider jobs that will allow me to combine my passions for all three subject areas (Computer Science, Engineering and Business).   

This story is part of a series on the Bayview Glen Summer Co-op Education experience 2023.  

 
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A Summer to Remember: Co-op Experience Impacts

To say the sky’s the limit for Rohaan Vasa might be an understatement.

The Grade 12 student is fresh off qualifying for the FIRST Robotics World Championships — along with his teammates on Team 7558 ALT-F4 — one of several robotics teams at Bayview Glen School. 

It was a second feat of note for Rohaan in recent months. The first came a few weeks earlier — several thousand feet above the ground. 

“I have been fascinated by aviation my entire life,” says the 17-year-old. “My initial interest in flying stemmed from my interest in how things work.” 

That curiosity has been further fuelled by his co-curricular activities including robotics at BVG and Air Cadets outside of school.   

“When I was young, I would frequently find myself glaring up into the sky at massive jets and thinking how does something that heavy fly so fast. My experiences through cadets exponentially increased my interest in planes,” he says. 

So, on his 17^th birthday in early December, Rohaan literally took his hobby to new heights.

“Becoming a pilot is not easy, there is a lot to learn both in physical skill as well as theory,” says fight instructor Thomas Stevens. “Rohaan worked hard to achieve his goal of becoming a licensed recreational pilot on the day he turned 16, and then a licensed private pilot on the day he turned 17,” he says. 

“Until recently I believed becoming a pilot was an unachievable goal which took years to do,” adds Rohaan. “My involvement in the Air Cadets program for the past six years only strengthened my desire to become a pilot. Through the program I lived on Air Force bases and was exposed to many people in the industry. My interactions with them solidified my choices and proved to me that I wanted to get my license.” 

All this while managing a heavy course load in his graduating year, along with robotics team responsibilities that run an additional 15 to 20 hours per week, and other activities. 

“When I got my Recreational license, I was the youngest pilot in Canada and one of the youngest in the world,” shares Rohaan. “Most other countries allow people to get pilots’ licenses at 17 or 18.” 

Earning the Canadian Private Pilots’ License means Rohaan can “can fly a Canadian registered plane pretty much anywhere in the world. There is no limit to the number of passengers I can carry, and I can be certified on larger aircraft,” he says. 

The process since day one has been, naturally, rigorous. 

“I had gone through ground school at my cadets’ squadron twice and had a basic understanding of the physics behind flying,” continues Rohaan. “I had to apply for my aviation medical and pass the ROC-A (radio license) exam. Once the training started, I had to complete 300+ hours of online ground school which culminated in a three-hour, 100 question multiple choice exam. The requirements for a Recreational permit are 45 hours of flight time, 15 hours of solo time, and one dual cross country,” he says.

His flight instructor has been working with Rohaan for more than 18 months. “This process required careful planning and high degree of performance on his part during training,” says Stevens. “His achievement is certainly impressive!” 

And even as he imagines travelling to even greater heights, Rohaan remembers that first experience in the sky by himself, in explicit detail. 

“My first solo was the most magical experience of my life so far,” he says. “I soloed after only 17 hours of flight experience. The day of my first solo I went up with my instructor for a few practice circuits to make sure I was safe. My instructor hopped out of the plane and with a fist bump, left me alone in the plane for the first time. I taxied out to runway 26 at Billy Bishop airport and holding short of the runway I felt my body go into autopilot. I had done the same procedures countless times. As I took off. I felt a total sense of freedom. It was just me, the plane, and the sky!” 

Little wonder that Rohaan is considering an undergraduate degree in engineering and a career in the aerospace industry. 

“My dream job, at the moment, is to work for a space company like Space X or Blue Origin, designing spacecraft,” he says. 

Between now and then, who knows what else may inspire Rohaan. 

There’s the upcoming first space mission to the moon in more than 50 years.  
Scheduled for November 2024.  
The history-making Artemis II mission. 
With a Canadian astronaut, trained as a CF-18 pilot, aboard. 

Just sayin!