MacKenzie Roberts, Co-op Student, Peer Helper, Collin Cureatz Memorial Award: My name is MacKenzie Roberts and I am a fifth year wildlife biology and conservation co-op student here at the University of Guelph.

Action: Mackenzie greets a student as they approach the Career Peer Helper desk.

MacKenzie: I knew right off the bat as soon as I went to interview with Brittney that I just, I needed to be here and then being integrated as now a senior career peer helper. Working under her and with the team has just been probably some of the best experiences of my time here at the university.

Brittney Ogilvie, Nominator, EL Hub, University of Guelph: When MacKenzie was in her first semester as a peer helper, I actually asked her if she would be comfortable taking on some student mentees. Typically that's not something that happens until the peer helper is in their second semester. I could tell right away that she would excel in this mentorship and she absolutely did.

MacKenzie: The co-op community has done so much for me. Coming into this program as a financial need student, like I knew that I would be needing to work during my undergrad.

Action: MacKenzie helps a student with their resume and co-op foundations coursework.

MacKenzie: I've already experienced so much and then being a teaching assistant and grader for the co-op foundations courses. I love co-op.

Brittney: Mackenzie right away was like, I want to do everything. I want to be so involved. She really wants to give back to other co-op students.

MacKenzie: I would describe my own co-op journey as very illuminating. It was through my second co-op experience as a veterinary assistant and herdsperson where I found my love for large animal medicine and mixed animal medicine.

Action: Various images of MacKenzie working with animals; holding a birds and assisting cows with ultrasounds and feeding.

MacKenzie: I am an aspiring large animal veterinarian and that experience really helped solidify that decision and also give me practical experience.

Brittney: Initiative is definitely a word that I would use to describe MacKenzie's personality and her work ethic. She is someone who sticks around to put the chairs away at the end of a team meeting.

MacKenzie: If you asked me in first year or you told me I was going to be so involved in the EL Hub I would have said, what? I don't even know where that place is.

MacKenzie: Just so many doors opened that I did not even realize. It's been life changing in that way and truly it's the best feeling when students come to you and say, oh, I got the job. It's really great to see that come full circle.

Action: A student returns to the EL Hub to tell MacKenzie the good news that they got a job.