Co-op Spotlight: Mina Pavlovic

Hedgehog Technologies, Burnaby, British Columbia

Age: 21

Program: Sustainable energy engineering, Simon Fraser University

Year: 4

Length of co-op: Four months

I’ve been interested in sustainability for a long time. Every time I see the news, there’s something about climate change. A lot of people think there’s a be-all, end-all solution, but it’s a complex and nuanced issue. If I can help in any sort of way, and I can make that my career, then I think that’s a step in the right direction.

At Hedgehog, I’ve been working on an energy management system called Nimba, which was initially developed for a school that was having issues with blackouts. It’s what we call a microgrid controller. It’s connected to both the power grid and a backup battery. When there’s a blackout, Nimba will turn on the battery so the school can keep operating and parents don’t have to come pick up their kids. It’s really versatile and can be used in other situations as well. 

I’m helping to develop and test some new features. I developed some of the software myself, and I’m testing the features on the electric panels on the controller. 

I didn’t know how to do any of this before my co-op. Academia is very, very different from the industry. I’ve been at my placement for about four months and, for the first two months, it was strictly a learning curve. It was hard for me to figure out what to do and gauge what skills I needed to use. 

My manager actually pulled me aside and said, “Hey, you can tell me if you don’t like something or if there are other projects you want to work on.” That was really important for me because I believed that, as an entry-level co-op employee, I should just do the work I’m asked to do. If they ask you to get coffee, you get coffee. So for my manager to tell me I’m a valuable member of the team and I bring something to the table—that flipped a switch in my head and I got more confident in my abilities. 

A co-op is a special kind of job where you don’t have as much pressure on you. You’re not an employee. You’re not expected to be perfect and have all the deliverables ready. The only thing employers want you to do is to learn. When you realize that, it helps you open up and be accepting of the experience. 

And quite frankly, your co-workers love answering questions. They’re more than happy to tell you about their lives and how they figured out what they wanted to do and help you with your work.

This co-op has confirmed that sustainable engineering is something I really want to pursue and that working in a consultancy is a good option for me. I like being exposed to new things and being in a fast-paced environment. That’s where I see myself for a long-term career. —As told to Claire Gagne