Empowering success: A student testimonial - Sophia Santoro
October 4, 2024 - Defence Stories
My name is Sophia Santoro. I grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, then moved to Ottawa for my parents' military posting in 2018. I started my studies at uOttawa in Honours English, but later decided that was not for me. I then transferred to Algonquin Colleges Bachelor of Supply Chain Management program. For fun I love to read, workout and hangout with my 3 pugs.
I was hired at the Department of National Defence (DND) as a student for my first Co-op work term in ADM(Mat) with the Directorate of Maritime Procurement (D Mar P). My role includes supporting my team with the management of in-service support contracts for the Halifax-class frigates located in Halifax, NS and Victoria, BC. The support I provided included creating and amending task authorizations, reviewing, preparing, and paying contractor claims, attending contract meetings with internal and external representatives, material management and helped with the digitization process of old paper files.
My student experience at DND was very good, I enjoyed the work I did and the team I was a part of. The people I worked with had a lot of knowledge and were extremely easy to learn from. I also got to apply a lot of my schooling in the workplace which benefited me both educationally and professionally. When I first started, I was extremely nervous as I had never worked such a large organization. This allowed me to continue building my communication skills by being able to collaborate with different teams throughout DND.
At DND, I enjoyed helping on the entertainment committee where I got to assist at departmental barbeques, as well as the family appreciation day. I also got to attend the Canadian Association of Defense and Security Industry trade show, which was extremely interesting as I got to interact with contractors, that we work with at DND. This allowed me to network in my building and meet people from other sections I never would have spoken to if these events were not offered.
Another benefit of working at DND was the hybrid work model. I was not a huge fan of working from home partly because a lot of my schooling was through the pandemic, so I enjoy face to face interactions, and I really enjoyed collaborating with my team. Working from home part of the week was nice, as it provided a nice work life balance.
I am excited to continue to grow my skills and knowledge at DND until the end of this summer and in the fall when I will be working part time through Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP). I still have 2 years of school left but my work at DND has only made me excited for what is to come in my career, and I look forward to continuing to grow my skillset at DND in the fall.
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Contact
- If you are a student and want to submit a testimonial, please send an email to hrciv_communications_rhciv@forces.gc.ca
- Hiring managers, if you need support finding a student for your team, contact the National Student Hiring Team at CIV.DND.NationalStudentHiring-EmbaucheNationaleEtudiants.MDN@forces.gc.ca