“Opportunity comes to those who prepare”. Its a nice saying, albeit incomplete. The rest should say “to reach out and grab it”. At my age (or any age really) it’s very easy to become complacent, apathetic and oblivious to the opportunities that exist around us. I think more than anything, my choice to remain actively conscious and attuned to the opportunities that exist around me coupled with a preparedness to reach out and grab them is what has brought me this far.
During the month of July I had the fantastic opportunity to spend one month at the very whimsical, yet serious BNOTIONS for my summer high school cooperative (learning coop). Yes high school. That piece of information may have been the dead giveaway of my lack of initiation in this very new environment. That, or my constant hovering around the snack bars. BNOTIONS is a great mobile consulting and innovation firm located in Toronto that specializes in product engineering for the mobile and the web.
Work Experience programs, cooperative education programs or co-op’s are common in most Canadian high schools. They offer an opportunity for high school level students to increase their learning, “test-drive” a career option, gain valuable work experience and develop their skills further.
The story of coming in contact with BNOTIONS is one for a different post. Just before starting this COOP placement, I had corresponded via the comment section on the MIT admission blogs with a student at the university who was also beginning an internship (although at a much higher level than I), for the first time. Below is an excerpt from the question I asked:
“The part that gets me most nervous is not knowing what to expect. I mean will I be a coffee boy?, picked on mercilessly like in the movies?, made to battle to the death? Or perhaps most importantly will I matter? Probably not.”
This was a very real concern for me. I love making an impact and creating value wherever I am. Something at the time I didn’t believe I could do as effectively in this very different setting. The opposite was very much the case.
With the benefit of hindsight, I realize now that my nervousness was just the voice that accompanied most new experiences. The wealth of knowledge I acquired is second only to the immense amount of real world experience I gained. Both absolutely immeasurable. I got to work on projects that real people will go on to use and work with some of the most amazing individuals I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.
Perhaps the individual I am most grateful to have met is my supervisor, Mark Reale. Mark or Mark the Man Fantastic (A name I never actually called him, but did in my head) is a person many people my age don’t get to meet until later on in their life. His blend of hands-on approach and emphasis on teamwork created an experience I honestly believe I could have not gotten anywhere else. His mantra, very similar to Mark Zuckerberg’s, “Move fast and break things”, made sure that I wasn’t stuck just doing paperwork and attending meetings but that I was actually building things. His unhindered access to the company’s resources and people were more than enough to make up for being a very busy mentor.
The two hour commute to BNOTIONS did nothing to dampen my spirits coming into the office in the morning. My time at the company spurred in and taught me strategies that I have begun to use in the other projects I work on.
This summer has been filled with high productivity, new experiences and huge steps forward. Most of all however, it has been an opportunity for tremendous learning. An opportunity I reached out and grabbed. As I move forward into my final year of high school, the lessons I have learned will be valuable as I take on new opportunities, continue in old ones and work with more people.
