When Ridwan Abdulwaheed and Daniel Wiredu arrived for their new lives at Memorial University’s St. John’s campus, they couldn’t have predicted their academic paths would lead them to central Newfoundland.
But that’s exactly what happened.
Mr. Abdulwaheed came to Newfoundland and Labrador from Osun State Nigeria in 2021 as an undergraduate student; Mr. Wiredu came from a small town in the Ashanti region of Ghana to pursue a master’s degree.
Both computer science co-operative education students are passionate about problem-solving and technology and knew that a work term was essential to their career development.
Fortunately, their wishes came true.
Tech support
They were offered work terms with TownSuite Municipal Software, a company based in Gander that develops and supports an enterprise-grade application for local governments to manage everyday municipal operations.
Mr. Abdulwaheed moved to Gander to start work in May 2024.
Although he says he felt some trepidation about the move, he now realizes it was “one of the best decisions” he’s ever made.
“Initially, I had some concerns about moving to a new place where I didn’t know anyone, but I reminded myself that I had already moved from Nigeria to Canada alone, which was a life-changing experience,” he said. “I trusted that moving to Gander would be just as rewarding, and I was right. The town is surrounded by stunning nature, with plenty of hiking spots and scenic views. The community and my employer are so welcoming, which makes me feel at home.”
Mr. Wiredu joined the company in September 2024. Although the two students hadn’t met previously, it made the transition easier for Mr. Wiredu knowing there was already a Memorial work-term student there.
“The friendly community made settling into Gander easy, and the scenery is beautiful,” he said. “I had no concerns moving to a small town. My employer also gave me a warm welcome and took me on a tour of the town. They are readily available to assist me whenever a need arises.”
Mr. Abdulwaheed’s position is in DevOps and software development, where he debugs and tests code and builds data pipelines to improve product integration. During the summer, he worked on a project to allow the platform to output anonymized data to better address privacy concerns.
“Working at TownSuite has been an incredible experience,” he said. “My supervisor Peter Gill has been a great mentor, offering guidance when needed and encouraging me when I take the initiative to find solutions on my own. This approach has strengthened my problem-solving abilities and boosted both my confidence and independence at work.”
Mr. Wiredu works as an ETL technical engineer, a position that involves working with databases to extract, transform and load data during the software implementation process with new clients.
“My first moment of pride was to implement automated data validations that will improve efficiency in the data conversion processes,” he said. “My colleagues are very helpful and always open to answering my questions.”
‘Invaluable’
Mr. Gill is TownSuite’s technical lead.
He has been instrumental in hiring co-operative education students and welcoming them to the company and the local community.
“Students bring fresh perspectives, innovative ideas and a strong willingness to learn.”
He says working with co-operative education students has been “incredibly rewarding” for the organization.
“Students bring fresh perspectives, innovative ideas and a strong willingness to learn,” said Mr. Gill. “Their enthusiasm and up-to-date knowledge have significantly contributed to our projects and overall productivity. By integrating co-op students into our team, we not only support their professional growth, but also infuse our workplace with new energy and creativity.”
The Memorial students agree that their work term experience has had a significant impact on their respective degrees and future careers.
“My work is transforming the way I approach problem-solving, and I can see myself growing both technically and socially,” said Mr. Abdulwaheed.
Mr. Wiredu’s sentiments follow suit.
“The co-op experience has been invaluable. It not only enhances my degree, but also gives me real-world experience and connections in the Canadian tech industry that will benefit my future career.”
Employers interested in connecting with Memorial University computer science co-operative education students can contact Rebecca Newhook.
