CHALLENGE - University of Waterloo

Inside sCo-op
The S t u d e n t:
James Ehrman
1A environmental engineering
Interviewing and Relocating
“I prepared for the interview,” James recollects, “by doing
some readings on the company, its work and some of their
current cases. Aside from that, a good breakfast and some
stretches to shake off my anxiety, and I felt prepared.”
Evidently, the interview went well and James found himself
relocating to Bethesda. “The city is something of an urban
wasteland,” says James, “with little cohesion and community.
The saving grace is that Washington DC is literally five
minutes away. There are fantastic sights, smells, sounds,
and events happening everywhere.”
JAMES EHRMAN SPENT his first work term with SSP&A, at their Bethesda,
Maryland location. What this means is that, for his first work term, after only four
months of class, James began a full-time job at a company in another country.
He had never worked away from home before, but he didn’t let that stop him
from making the best of the experience.
James
(third
from the
right)
stayed
involved
with
causes
he feels
strongly
about
Back in Bethesda, he settled comfortably into his new house, which he called a “sometimes dramatic household of
Uruguayans who rent out a few spare bedrooms. There was one other steady roommate, Eddy, a Ghanaian screenplay
writer.” With them, James “learned how to cook over an open fire in traditional South American style.” Even abroad in
a foreign country, James knew how to make himself at home.
Skill-Building on the Job
“One of my two bags got lost on the flight. I was fairly frazzled, and I think I ended up going to work my first day without
socks. Thankfully, my boss showed up in an ancient pair of paint-stained pants and a t-shirt.” And since that hectic
beginning, James’ work term has only improved.
“I’ve been trying to soak in everything that’s being said around me,” James describes. “The people I work with are industry
leaders and experts in their field – it’s intimidating, sometimes, but it’s an excellent chance to learn. SSP&A even
hosts lectures on many topics – public speaking, geology, programming.”
With SSP&A, James played an integral role in developing an Android application that models groundwater contamination.
He’s also in charge supervising two high-school students on this joint project. He admits the students “sometimes
get a little side tracked. This is discouraging, but also hilarious, and we usually get right back on track.”
After his term with SSP&A, James noticed one big change in himself. “Never before have I thought and dreamed in
code. But thanks to the massive amount of code talk floating around everywhere, it’s now part of my language.” James
learned much at SSP&A, but he also made sure work wasn’t the only place he did some learning.
Immersed in the Community
When he first moved to Bethesda, he knew how to get to
only two places: work, and home. It didn’t take long for that
to change. James, an avid outdoorsman and lover of dance,
found multiple venues to pursue his hobbies. “I’ve taken up
swing dancing at one of the local universities – we did a show
for Relay for Life. I’ve also gone on several twenty-mile hikes
in the West Virginia Mountains with the local Sierra Club.”
Between lindy-hopping and mountaineering, James somehow
found time to “cut firewood, shovel twenty cubic yards of
dirt for an organic garden, build compost piles, walk absurd
distances in blizzards for supplies and play soccer with some
talented South Americans.” Needless to say, he’s been busy.
8
James (in the background) scaling mountains
with the local Sierra Club
But James’ eclectic pastimes demonstrate an oft-overlooked
benefit of a co-operative education. “It is important that we
take the time and share in the experiences and lives of others,”
James says. “No matter where you are, there is something
worth doing in your free time.” Co-op provides us with the
opportunities to experience not only new occupations, but
new locations and cultures. While on a work term, consider doing
what James suggests and “get out there! Be a part of the
places you work in.”