Stanley Miao (he/him) is a fourth-year Computer Science student. Sharing his experience, he talks about co-op broadening his perspective and the excitement associated with research.
Stanley's co-op journey:
Work term one: For his first work term, Stanley worked at the IO Foundation, a non-profit organization. As a software developer, he worked on projects related to COVID-19.
Work term two: At YuJa, Stanley worked on a software development project related to test proctoring.
Work term three: As a software developer at a Toronto-based startup tilr, he worked on multiple projects related to development.
Work term four: In his last co-op term, Stanley was a research assistant at SINTEF Digital in Oslo, Norway.
Q&A with Stanley:
How would you describe your co-op experience in one word?
“Eye-opening. It opened my eyes to being in a professional environment. Co-op has allowed me to have such varied and amazing experiences in different parts of the world, which has helped me grow as a person and given me perspective. It’s taught me so much about myself and what I’m passionate about.”
What are some highlights from your term in Oslo, Norway?
“In terms of my work, getting a fascinating result in my research was definitely a highlight, as well as presenting my work at a conference in front of a large audience of AI researchers and industry leaders.”
“Outside of the workplace, I got to hike many beautiful hiking trails in Oslo, especially in September when it was warm. When I was in Trondheim for the NorwAI Innovate Conference, other students showed me around the city. I went to Bergen alone and took an amazing fjord cruise. Towards the end of the term, my partner visited Oslo too! We took a trip to Tromsø, in the Arctic Circle.”
“It was absolutely incredible seeing the northern lights and we also experienced some Norwegian Christmas traditions with my research group at SINTEF.”
Read the full Q&A on Waterloo's Co-op Website