‘Getting out of my comfort zone’: Learning new skills and expanding career options through the Wavemakers program
Student Profile: Stephanie, Memorial University of Newfoundland
When Stephanie logged onto the Wavemakers platform for the first time, it felt like a video game. Far from being another online meeting platform, Wavemakers leverages virtual reality technology to bring students a rich and immersive work-integrated learning program, with unique features you won’t find on Zoom or similar programs.
“I didn’t know what to expect because I’d never participated in a virtual reality-based program before. It was interesting because you don’t see people’s faces. Instead you hear their voice and see their avatars and how they’ve dressed them, and that’s how we interacted. It was very different,” says Stephanie, a student in the Social Work program at Memorial University of Newfoundland.
As someone living with a physical disability, the platform made it easy for Stephanie to participate fully in the Wavemakers program, which was structured to ensure full accessibility.
“I could participate through text and take breaks whenever I needed to. It was very accommodating and that was really helpful for me,” she says.
Like many other participants, Stephanie’s favourite aspect of the program was coming together with other peers from across the country to complete a group project and presentation. The experience helped her grow her peer network, collaborate with others and overcome her shyness to become a more confident public speaker — all skills Stephanie says will help her in her educational and professional pursuits in the future.
“Wavemakers really helped me think outside the box and get out of my comfort zone,” she says.
Students who are looking to build connections with others across Canada and hear from industry-leading speakers and employers should consider the Wavemakers program, Stephanie adds. “You learn about the skills and mindsets you need for the future and can build a stronger community for yourself,” she says.
Knowledgeable mentors helped students tackle complex challenges and generate innovative ideas over the course of the program, which was another highlight of the program for Stephanie. “Our mentor was full of positive feedback and tips. I’ll never forget that experience,” she says.
The program concludes with a virtual job fair that gives Wavemakers participants the chance to meet with representatives from diverse employers across Canada. While she hadn’t considered it before the job fair, it helped her realize studying social work could take her down a variety of different career paths.
“It opened up potential opportunities for me that I wasn’t considering before.”
About Wavemakers
The Wavemakers program is a first-of-its-kind work-integrated learning program that leverages cutting-edge, accessible virtual reality technology and forward-thinking speakers. Wavemakers provides post-secondary students from diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives with the opportunity to come together, develop and cultivate future-proof skills, and build long-lasting connections with industry leaders, to help their transition into the workplace. It’s about providing meaningful opportunities to a diverse community of future leaders who can tackle today’s big challenges with even bigger and bolder ideas that will carry us into a more positive and inclusive tomorrow.