Co-op Students of the Year announced

They may study disparate subjects, but Connor Bildfell, Angus Rittenburg, and Ross Prager have something in common: they’ve all been named UVic Co-op Student of the Year by their respective co-op programs.

Connor Bildfell (BCOM 2013) is the 2013 Co-op Student of the Year for the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business Co-op and Career Centre. He completed three work terms over the course of his degree, including two as a staff accountant at KPMG LLP, and one as special events and activities coordinator at Corvallis Parks and Recreation in Oregon State. While working at KPMG, Connor was recognized for his exceptional work ethic and team building initiative, and spent his spare time volunteering for the Immigrant Services Society of BC, where he used his Mandarin to support recently immigrated Chinese families. Throughout his degree, this straight-A student was recognized with more than 12 UVic and external scholarships and awards and made an incredibly positive impression on his peers, colleagues, employers and Co-op and Career staff. Connor is currently enrolled at the UBC Faculty of Law. For more information about Connnor, see his convocation story.

Angus Rittenburg (mechanical engineering) is the Co-op Student of the Year for the Engineering Computer Science and Mathematics/Statistics Co-op Program. Eager to embark on a wide range of workplace experiences, Angus has completed six work terms with five separate engineering organizations, where he worked on electric bikes (Grin Technologies in Vancouver, BC), low cost cars for Africa (Mobius Motors in Nairobi, Kenya), rockets (SpaceX in Hawthorne, California), electric car batteries (Tesla Motors in Palo Alto, California), and large scale robots (eatART in Vancouver, BC). Angus has selected work terms that allow him to contribute to positive change, whether that’s developing cleaner power methods, increasing safe transportation methods for rural communities, or stimulating socio-economic growth. He is known for his positive attitude and endless energy; in his spare time Angus has been an active volunteer with UVic’s ecoCAR and ECOsat teams.

Ross Prager (microbiology honours) is the Co-op Student of the Year for the Optional and Professional Co-op Programs. Ross has leveraged his co-op experiences to explore the intersection of his academic studies and personal interests, and has impressed his colleagues and mentors along the way. His first work term was with St. John Ambulance Victoria, where he volunteered as a Medical First Responder in the community around Victoria. Next, his interest in neuroscience led to him to work in Dr. Swayne’s molecular and cellular neuroscience laboratory here at UVic, first as a volunteer and then on an NSERC funded work term. Ross is currently completing an honours thesis related to this research under Dr. Swayne’s supervision. Finally, Ross spent last summer as a paramedic with the BCAmbulance Service (BCAS) working in both rural and metro centers. He brought patience and humour to the position that saw him do everything from answering emergency calls in Vancouver’s east side to helping deliver a baby. His work experience has led him to focus on a future in healthcare, where he can combine his interests in the clinical, interpersonal, and research-related aspects of the discipline.