Maryn Wallace
BA 2006: Major Sociology
When Arts Co-op alumna, Maryn Wallace entered the program in 2003 she never thought it would lead to a career working for her Alma Mater, but when she heard about an opportunity with the UBC Development Office through an Arts Co-op Alumni email she couldn’t resist.
Wallace’s education in Sociology and her past co-op experiences as a Special Events Assistant with the BC Lung Association, as a Communications Coordinator with the Law Courts Education Society of BC and as a Development Officer with the Richmond Society for Community Living gave her valuable time management, problem solving, communication and relationship development skills to help her in her position today.
From hearing the final verdict of the Air India Trial first-hand to helping raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charitable organizations, Wallace has had some truly unforgettable moments as an Arts Co-op student. What she values most from her co-op placements however, is “the opportunity to work in a variety of positions, for diverse organizations [which] gave me the tools to excel in myriad of highly competitive and challenging fields.”
Without this practical knowledge Wallace said, “Employers would not have considered my employment without proven experience and successes, which I believe could only have been achieved through my Co-op placements.”
This wealth of knowledge and skills helped prepare Wallace for her professional career after graduation. “In my experience, it can be quite difficult for Arts Alumni to find a career after graduation [if] they [don’t] have the skills, knowledge and confidence to excel in a competitive work environment. Employers are increasingly seeing the value of University Co-op programs, and will undoubtedly hire a recent graduate with proven success over those with simply a degree.”
In her current position with the UBC Development Office, Wallace ’s favourite part of the job is “being able to create meaningful opportunities for alumni, family and friends of the university to ‘give back.’”
For recent co-op graduates, Wallace suggests to continue to read the Alumni emails because “you never know what job postings might pop up!”
For current students in the program, Wallace advises you to “apply to a variety of positions in fields that you wouldn’t necessarily imagine yourself pursing if you did not have the chance.” She also encourages students to spend time “networking and developing relationships, as these are extremely valuable components of being an Arts Co-op student and can help to successfully secure full time positions after graduation.”
Finally, for students thinking about applying for the Co-op program Wallace says, “Do it! In order to set yourself ahead of the pack, you will not only need to have experience, and ambition, but the connection to potential future career opportunities—something you can only achieve through programs such as Co-op.”
Maryn Wallace
BA 2006: Major Sociology
When Arts Co-op alumna, Maryn Wallace entered the program in 2003 she never thought it would lead to a career working for her Alma Mater, but when she heard about an opportunity with the UBC Development Office through an Arts Co-op Alumni email she couldn’t resist.
Wallace’s education in Sociology and her past co-op experiences as a Special Events Assistant with the BC Lung Association, as a Communications Coordinator with the Law Courts Education Society of BC and as a Development Officer with the Richmond Society for Community Living gave her valuable time management, problem solving, communication and relationship development skills to help her in her position today.
From hearing the final verdict of the Air India Trial first-hand to helping raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charitable organizations, Wallace has had some truly unforgettable moments as an Arts Co-op student. What she values most from her co-op placements however, is “the opportunity to work in a variety of positions, for diverse organizations [which] gave me the tools to excel in myriad of highly competitive and challenging fields.”
Without this practical knowledge Wallace said, “Employers would not have considered my employment without proven experience and successes, which I believe could only have been achieved through my Co-op placements.”
This wealth of knowledge and skills helped prepare Wallace for her professional career after graduation. “In my experience, it can be quite difficult for Arts Alumni to find a career after graduation [if] they [don’t] have the skills, knowledge and confidence to excel in a competitive work environment. Employers are increasingly seeing the value of University Co-op programs, and will undoubtedly hire a recent graduate with proven success over those with simply a degree.”
In her current position with the UBC Development Office, Wallace ’s favourite part of the job is “being able to create meaningful opportunities for alumni, family and friends of the university to ‘give back.’”
For recent co-op graduates, Wallace suggests to continue to read the Alumni emails because “you never know what job postings might pop up!”
For current students in the program, Wallace advises you to “apply to a variety of positions in fields that you wouldn’t necessarily imagine yourself pursing if you did not have the chance.” She also encourages students to spend time “networking and developing relationships, as these are extremely valuable components of being an Arts Co-op student and can help to successfully secure full time positions after graduation.”
Finally, for students thinking about applying for the Co-op program Wallace says, “Do it! In order to set yourself ahead of the pack, you will not only need to have experience, and ambition, but the connection to potential future career opportunities—something you can only achieve through programs such as Co-op.”