The Co-Op Program

By Sharon Meija

As I am used to regular school hours, going from class to class and having to ask permission to use the bathroom, co-op has definitely given me the opportunity to be responsible as well as professional.

I’m a grade 12 student at Winston Churchill Collegiate Institute in Toronto. Many of you have heard of co-op programs. For those who haven’t, co-op is a program which gives students the opportunity to live out one of their career choices throughout a period of four months.

I have always enjoyed English class, and have an interest in journalism, so when I was offered a co-op placement at ABILITIES, I was more than pleased. I have learned many new things and gained skills in journalism in the past months, but that is not all. I have gained experience with and learned a great deal about people who have disabilities, and disabilities themselves.

One of the most important things that I have learned this semester has nothing to do with journalism, but it has to do with respect for others: my choice of words. I believe that before starting at ABILITIES, my word choices that dealt with disabilities were very poor. But now it is
something that I pay attention to strongly. Small things make a big difference. "Always put the person before the disability" -- that’s my personal favourite.

This co-op program has taught me many things about working and being responsible, things that you simply can’t learn out of a textbook or inside four classroom walls.

Although the days are long (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and there is a little bit of school work to be done, it all balances out. There are no mid-term or final exams, and getting five credits instead of four in one semester is a bonus.

I encourage anyone to take part in co-op. Whether it’s at a high school or college level, co-op is worth the time, and hopefully everyone can have positive experiences that will help them throughout their career.

(Sharon Mejia lives in Scarborough, Ontario.)