First-year Student Gets Re-inspired in the Lab after Pandemic School Year

As a first-year biochemistry student during a pandemic, SarahAnn Walker didn’t exactly get the university experience she had hoped for. So when a job opportunity came up in a lab in Lethbridge, she jumped on the chance to apply.

Read SarahAnn's story about working at Allos Bioscience here. 

Student Flocks to New Industry at Poultry and Swine Veterinary Service

When you think of the types of animals that frequent a vet’s office, pigs and poultry aren’t typically top of mind. But for Prairie Swine Health Services, these are the only furry and feathered friends they treat. Based in Red Deer, Alberta, Prairie Swine is only one of two vet clinics in the province to focus on these animals. 

"I was interested in this work at the beginning of the summer, now I love it,” says Boosting Biotech student Chantel de Beurs while on the job. “I’m very grateful for this funding, it provided me an opportunity that likely wouldn’t have been available to me without it.” 

Read about Chantel's experience at Prairie Swine Health Services here.

Student Intern Proves Value and Lands Full-time Job in Precision Health

When Edmonton-based medical diagnostic company Nanostics went looking for a student to bring on board, they weren’t anticipating to expand the temporary position. But through BioAlberta’s Boosting Biotech Internship program, they found someone that became the perfect fit.

Along came Sean Rah, a Master of Biomedical Technology student from the University of Calgary...

Read his story about working at Nanostics here.  

Well-seasoned Engineering Student Gets New Business Experience at Innovative Biotech Company Outbreaker Solutions

If there was ever a time to market a revolutionary anti-microbial product specifically purposed to stop the spread of germs and pathogens on public surfaces, it’s now. This is exactly what the Edmonton-based team at Outbreaker Solutions has their hands on; literally. 

They found fourth-year materials engineering student Emma Li who was keen to take on the role and expand her education horizons from engineering into the world of business development. Read about Emma's work story here.

Student Finds Joy in Working for RUTH, a Bio-based Start-up

Students currently enrolled in undergraduate studies can often find it difficult to find work that aligns with their degree and career goals, especially during the pandemic. This is certainly what Jeanelle Affonso, a communications student, thought as she scanned through her university’s co-op job postings.

“Getting to work for a locally based business that aligned not only with my degree but also with my personal values was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” she said.

Read about Jeanelle's experience working with bio-based RUTH here. 

Student Sustains Wisdom Gained from Green Start-up Company

As a commerce undergraduate student graduating in a pandemic year, the ability to find meaningful summer employment was something Alexandra Verhun was hugely grateful for. 

“With covid happening this year and derailing everything, it meant a lot,” she said. “I know a lot of my friends didn’t get the opportunity to get jobs that were relevant to them or relevant to their field, so I was really grateful.” 

Read Alexandra's inspiring story about working at Botaneco here.

Student Finds Values Alignment with Rehabilitation Start-up

Click&Push Accessibility Inc. is an Edmonton-based tech start-up that spun out of the Rehabilitation Robotics Laboratory at the University of Alberta. They brought in student support to help drive their technological and business development for an app called The Atlas.

"I always knew that I would be interested in the neurological research field in health care; however, I wanted to explore the innovation behind Rehabilitation Medicine as a potential future career path," says Valerie Nadeau. 

Read about her experience working at Click& Push Accessibility here.

STEM Student Senses Future Career at Small Biotech Start-Up

As with many undergraduate students having just gone through a pandemic year without in-person labs or co-op opportunities, Jenna Sullivan was questioning whether her studies in biochemistry were right for her. 

Then she found a summer job posting with a biotech company in Lethbridge that uses a proprietary computational method to develop protein-based biosensors—and everything changed. Read her exciting story here.