A Final Thank You For Suncor Energy
Thank you for the opportunity to work really hard at something.
A beloved and much admired high school teacher of mine once left me with a personalized comment in one of my report cards. Most comments on these reports are understandably generic, as teachers only have so much time, but this one was just for me. My teacher told me, a 17 year old me, that it is okay to be ambitious as long as you consciously take time to reflect upon the journey behind you and take pride in everything you currently are. My wish for you, my reader, is that you too have a moment to sit in your pyjamas with a cup of coffee nursing your headache from the night before and reflect upon the hard work and dumb luck that has been the backbone for every privileged opportunity you’ve been able to pursue.
My young colleagues in the Dominican Republic on my last co-op term must have thought I was insane. Day after day we would finish our minimalistic four hour work day and someone would suggest we hit up a local beach or bar. I refused the invitation the majority of the time because I wanted to learn more about Microsoft Excel and computer programming. It was what every person sitting across from me over a cup of coffee had told me would be an important component of my value proposition as a young business professional to an organization. There was one internet cafe in town and I had slugged a computer with me all the way to the tropical island. Whether or not a new skill-set would be my ticket to a more advanced co-op position or not, I had to start digging my well before I got thirsty.
Deep in the heart of the Fall 2015 term, I nervously pursued an eight month co-op position that lived in the realm of business technology, not sustainability like my degree prescribed. My friends and peers lightly joked that a student of Environment and Business, not engineering, was foolish to apply to positions outside of their academic background. My heart sank when I looked on JobMine to see I had not even been ranked for a position with IBM, but I did have an offer for Suncor Energy. The job was right at home in Oakville, offered a wage that would allow me to finish the degree with no debt, and and unlikely opportunity to start to develop the skills I so desired. It was time to take a break from sustainability and explore a different part of a different industry child-like wonder.
I arrived at Suncor Energy Products and Partnerships in Oakville, Ontario, Canada on January 4th, 2016. It was very clear from my first day that I not only had no idea what I was in for, but that I would be pushed everyday professionally and personally. Reports had to be run, numbers had to be crunched, and there were piles of work left for me by previous interns who simply did not have enough time to carry it out. I quietly reached out to a friend who had previously worked for the organization and he assured me I would not blow up the security system if I quietly came back to the office in sweat pants after hours. Problems at work kept me up at night and I was worried I would be let go because I didn’t have would it took to meet the requirements of my new position soon.
The term progressed and the idea of working outside my comfort zone became not only acceptable, but ideal. Asking more then enough questions, frequently admitting you don’t know something, and the willingness to say yes can be the foundation to transform your relationship with a team and company. Becoming more efficient at my daily tasks and projects allowed me to feel more comfortable in the once foreign environment and making jokes and chatting up colleagues became a daily routine. I felt comfortable enough to ask to present at meetings, schedule appointments with whom I needed, and code a Macro from start to finish. Though it will be hard to leave these new connections behind, you take comfort in leaving an experience when you know in your heart of hearts you gave it your best.
To Suncor Energy, I thank you. Thank you for being an organization that takes the time and capital to invest in young people. Thank you for being a company that places bets on people you believe in and giving them the opportunity to lean in and have a seat at the table. Whether you knew it or not, you have made me feel more comfortable with myself, an odd degree, and moving forward in life as a young professional eager to think different. For an industry that takes a lot of heat, you are one of the reasons Canada is where it is today and we will all adapt to new technological, social, political, and economic environment together as one nation.
In a world where so few people get the opportunity to work hard at something they remotely enjoy, thank you for the opportunity to work really hard at something. I am forever grateful.
