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GMS Co-op student goes to bat for marginalized children and youth

September 27, 2018
Elissa Armstrong

Ted Rogers Co-op students have had the opportunity to work at unique and exciting organizations in a number of different industries.  In fact, Elissa Armstrong, 4th year Global Management Studies student, has been going to work every day to the Rogers Centre – home of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Since February, Armstrong has been a Fundraising Intern with Jays Care Foundation, which uses baseball to teach life skills and create lasting social change for children and youth in marginalized communities across Canada.

Entering her third Co-op term at Jays Care, Armstrong is part of the Fundraising and Events team, which raises funds for the 10 programs the organization runs nationwide.  In her role, she is directly involved in all of the ways the Foundation raises funds, including events, in-stadium initiatives, third-party and fan fundraising, sponsorship and gifting. 

“Throughout this experience I have been able to expand my knowledge of the non-profit industry, and gain event planning, management and execution skills that I did not previously have,” says Armstrong.  “It has also allowed me to observe various roles, giving me greater insight into what I would like to pursue a future career in.”  

In addition to Jays Care Foundation, TRSM Co-op students have had the opportunity to work in other exciting organizations, in sectors ranging from healthcare and financial to property development and the public service.  This allows students to gain valuable work experience and industry connections. 

“The Ted Rogers Co-op program is proud to work with top employers across Canada,” says Graham Sogawa, Director of the Business Career Hub at TRSM, which the Co-op program is part of.  “We listen to our students and pursue companies based on their input and career aspirations.  We have also developed programs to support industries, such as the not-for-profit sector, which has not traditionally hired student talent.”

On top of the great work experience – 16+ months in total – Co-op students can also earn an average of $36,000, making Co-op a great way to finance a university degree. "Our team works hard to insure that every student that is qualified for the Co-op program gets a position that is relevant to their program of study and pays market rates,” explains Dr. Allen Goss, Associate Dean of Students at TRSM.  “Over the last 18 months, over 95% of students in the Co-op program have been placed." 

“Our success depends on our students,” says Goss.  “Employers will only hire Ted Rogers students if they can add value to the business, and our students have not let us down.  Our program has been successful because we never have to sell a Ted Rogers Co-op student twice."