Utkarsh Sikka
2020 Undergraduate Arts Co-op Student of the Year Honourable Mention
Excellence in the Workplace
Utkarsh was the first Workday Learning Rover hired to work with the UBC Integrated Renewal Program (IRP) on Workday, an enterprise system for managing human resources, finance, and student administration. In this role, he was not only responsible for assisting with the onboarding of seven other co-op students, but also for helping develop training materials, working with subject matter experts and community engagement partners, and learning the ins and outs of Workday to be able to guide community members with Workday business processes and tasks they needed to complete. Utkarsh was instrumental in leading the Learning Rover team in supporting the rollout and implementation of Workday for HR and Finance across UBC. He was requested by senior management for specific high-risk tasks involving a high degree of responsibility, attention to detail, and professionalism, and he had the chance to work directly with Deloitte consultants and subject matter experts on some of these projects.
Utkarsh’s manager, Barish Golland, applauded his leadership skills, collaborative approach, positive attitude, excellent work ethic, and ability to solve complex problems as key factors in the success of the program. During his work term, Utkarsh coordinated team building events to ensure the training team was closely connected and staying engaged, especially considering the challenges of COVID-19 and realities of remote work. He also led a team of dedicated students in compiling data analytics and reporting for review by executive leadership, and after showcasing exceptional leadership skills and taking initiative, Utkarsh was granted a leadership role over 27 additional co-op students.
To add to his accomplishments, Utkarsh led a team of Rovers at the Faculty of Medicine, where he effectively problem-solved a massive communication roll-out including emails, event planning, and following up with thousands of employees. Barish praised Utkarsh for being consistently reliable, trustworthy, and for his ownership of the program, stating that he has “gone beyond our expectations in fulfilling his role.”
Community Involvement
Leveraging his successful co-op experience, Utkarsh began encouraging his friends to push themselves out of their comfort zone and find gratifying experiences just like he had. He also volunteered at the Vancouver School of Economics Career Center to share his co-op experience and acted as a mentor in encouraging other BIE students to apply for co-op and supporting them with their applications.
Additionally, Utkarsh is a mentor at the Agora Mentorship Initiative, a program specifically for first year Bachelor of International Economics (BIE) students. On top of supporting his mentee one on one, he works with first year students by addressing concerns about course selection, extra-curriculars, time management, and the Co-op program.
Applications beyond the Classroom
Utkarsh’s work term with UBC Integrated Renewal Program gave him the opportunity to apply theories and skills from his coursework to his role as Workday Learning Rover. Courses in econometrics strengthened his data analysis skills and a course in financial accounting aided him in working with large data sets and financial information, allowing him to rise to the occasion and support end users having trouble with necessary tasks on Workday. Working on database management projects has also motivated him to take courses in database technology in his next academic term.
More critically, Utkarsh’s experience as a Learning Rover solidified his interest in a career in technology and project management, spurring him to seek technology consulting jobs in the future.
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.
Utkarsh Sikka
2020 Undergraduate Arts Co-op Student of the Year Honourable Mention
Excellence in the Workplace
Utkarsh was the first Workday Learning Rover hired to work with the UBC Integrated Renewal Program (IRP) on Workday, an enterprise system for managing human resources, finance, and student administration. In this role, he was not only responsible for assisting with the onboarding of seven other co-op students, but also for helping develop training materials, working with subject matter experts and community engagement partners, and learning the ins and outs of Workday to be able to guide community members with Workday business processes and tasks they needed to complete. Utkarsh was instrumental in leading the Learning Rover team in supporting the rollout and implementation of Workday for HR and Finance across UBC. He was requested by senior management for specific high-risk tasks involving a high degree of responsibility, attention to detail, and professionalism, and he had the chance to work directly with Deloitte consultants and subject matter experts on some of these projects.
Utkarsh’s manager, Barish Golland, applauded his leadership skills, collaborative approach, positive attitude, excellent work ethic, and ability to solve complex problems as key factors in the success of the program. During his work term, Utkarsh coordinated team building events to ensure the training team was closely connected and staying engaged, especially considering the challenges of COVID-19 and realities of remote work. He also led a team of dedicated students in compiling data analytics and reporting for review by executive leadership, and after showcasing exceptional leadership skills and taking initiative, Utkarsh was granted a leadership role over 27 additional co-op students.
To add to his accomplishments, Utkarsh led a team of Rovers at the Faculty of Medicine, where he effectively problem-solved a massive communication roll-out including emails, event planning, and following up with thousands of employees. Barish praised Utkarsh for being consistently reliable, trustworthy, and for his ownership of the program, stating that he has “gone beyond our expectations in fulfilling his role.”
Community Involvement
Leveraging his successful co-op experience, Utkarsh began encouraging his friends to push themselves out of their comfort zone and find gratifying experiences just like he had. He also volunteered at the Vancouver School of Economics Career Center to share his co-op experience and acted as a mentor in encouraging other BIE students to apply for co-op and supporting them with their applications.
Additionally, Utkarsh is a mentor at the Agora Mentorship Initiative, a program specifically for first year Bachelor of International Economics (BIE) students. On top of supporting his mentee one on one, he works with first year students by addressing concerns about course selection, extra-curriculars, time management, and the Co-op program.
Applications beyond the Classroom
Utkarsh’s work term with UBC Integrated Renewal Program gave him the opportunity to apply theories and skills from his coursework to his role as Workday Learning Rover. Courses in econometrics strengthened his data analysis skills and a course in financial accounting aided him in working with large data sets and financial information, allowing him to rise to the occasion and support end users having trouble with necessary tasks on Workday. Working on database management projects has also motivated him to take courses in database technology in his next academic term.
More critically, Utkarsh’s experience as a Learning Rover solidified his interest in a career in technology and project management, spurring him to seek technology consulting jobs in the future.
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.