Michelle Wei
2022 Undergraduate Arts Co-op Student of the Year
In a time of significant international conflict and crises, Arts Co-op student Michelle Wei has made her mark on the world stage, through her efforts to support the critical work of Canada’s humanitarian response in Iraq, Ukraine, Yemen, and Syria.
Impact on Canada’s International Humanitarian Assistance
As a Junior Program Officer, Michelle’s achievements had a considerable impact on the International Humanitarian Assistance branch of Global Affairs Canada. Among her accomplishments, Michelle led the development of humanitarian programming analysis using Microsoft Power BI and created a dashboard for program officers to determine current humanitarian funding information. These initiatives, according to supervisor Chris Desjardins, “improved the process and quality of data-driven decision-making exponentially.”
Michelle’s extraordinary performance propelled her to a role as the Lead Humanitarian Officer for Iraq, managing a programming portfolio of over ten projects and working directly with the World Food Programme, UNICEF, the International Committee of the Red Cross and various NGO partners. Michelle’s supervisor remarked that this increased responsibility was of “critical importance following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting pressures on our team.”
The bureau’s Director-General also praised Michelle for taking on work “above and beyond initial expectations” and handling “a portfolio equal to what would be expected of humanitarian program officers.”
From Classroom to Co-op and Beyond
Michelle reflects on how this co-op position connected her studies with her professional work in ways she didn’t expect. For instance, she drew on her coursework in Middle Eastern politics, and knowledge of “historical context and geopolitical dynamics at work in the region and beyond, in order to accurately assess humanitarian needs in each country and evaluate the response that Canada should provide.” Michelle’s academic background in Political Science and International Relations prepared her to jump into her work on humanitarian issues immediately.
Michelle credits Arts Co-op with opening doors to employment in the federal public sector and allowing her to experiment with different career possibilities. As she turns her attention to longer-term aspirations, Michelle can envision a future that will lead her from government work to humanitarian fieldwork, confident that her co-op experiences have presented a clear path to a fulfilling career.
About the UBC Arts Co-op Student of the Year Award
The annual award recognizes outstanding achievement in all aspects of the UBC Arts Co-op student’s performance, including academic achievement, job achievement/employer evaluation, personal statement, contribution to co-operative education, and contribution to extra-curricular activities.
Michelle Wei
2022 Undergraduate Arts Co-op Student of the Year
In a time of significant international conflict and crises, Arts Co-op student Michelle Wei has made her mark on the world stage, through her efforts to support the critical work of Canada’s humanitarian response in Iraq, Ukraine, Yemen, and Syria.
Impact on Canada’s International Humanitarian Assistance
As a Junior Program Officer, Michelle’s achievements had a considerable impact on the International Humanitarian Assistance branch of Global Affairs Canada. Among her accomplishments, Michelle led the development of humanitarian programming analysis using Microsoft Power BI and created a dashboard for program officers to determine current humanitarian funding information. These initiatives, according to supervisor Chris Desjardins, “improved the process and quality of data-driven decision-making exponentially.”
Michelle’s extraordinary performance propelled her to a role as the Lead Humanitarian Officer for Iraq, managing a programming portfolio of over ten projects and working directly with the World Food Programme, UNICEF, the International Committee of the Red Cross and various NGO partners. Michelle’s supervisor remarked that this increased responsibility was of “critical importance following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting pressures on our team.”
The bureau’s Director-General also praised Michelle for taking on work “above and beyond initial expectations” and handling “a portfolio equal to what would be expected of humanitarian program officers.”
From Classroom to Co-op and Beyond
Michelle reflects on how this co-op position connected her studies with her professional work in ways she didn’t expect. For instance, she drew on her coursework in Middle Eastern politics, and knowledge of “historical context and geopolitical dynamics at work in the region and beyond, in order to accurately assess humanitarian needs in each country and evaluate the response that Canada should provide.” Michelle’s academic background in Political Science and International Relations prepared her to jump into her work on humanitarian issues immediately.
Michelle credits Arts Co-op with opening doors to employment in the federal public sector and allowing her to experiment with different career possibilities. As she turns her attention to longer-term aspirations, Michelle can envision a future that will lead her from government work to humanitarian fieldwork, confident that her co-op experiences have presented a clear path to a fulfilling career.
About the UBC Arts Co-op Student of the Year Award
The annual award recognizes outstanding achievement in all aspects of the UBC Arts Co-op student’s performance, including academic achievement, job achievement/employer evaluation, personal statement, contribution to co-operative education, and contribution to extra-curricular activities.