Meet the New Winter Co-op Team
We would like to welcome our Winter set of work-term students to Vigilant. Vigilant is committed to delivering the highest quality work terms, which is demonstrated through the return of our summer students Ewan and Emma. Along with them, we are also welcoming our first engineering student in the Dartmouth office Brianna to the team!
Each of our students is a valued member of our team and plays a critical role in the overall success of Vigilant. This winter Emma and Brianna will be assisting on the engineering side while Ewan will be on the business side. We are very excited to see all the things they can accomplish this term.
BRIANNA HENDRICKS
A little bit about yourself
I’m from the beautiful island of Jamaica, which is famous for its reggae music genre and home to one of the most influential singers of all time, Bob Marley. His most popular song, ‘One Love,’ is a classic that still resonates with people today. Jamaica is also home to the fastest man alive, Usain Bolt, who has broken numerous world records in track and field. I spent 18 years of my life there before relocating to Halifax to attend Dalhousie University in 2019, where I started my degree in Engineering. After some exploration, I discovered that my true passion lies in Civil Engineering.
Job Title and Responsibilities
At Vigilant, I’m working as a Junior Project Manager, where my daily tasks include creating cost estimates, project planning, communicating with clients/contractors and budget monitoring.
Something you enjoy doing outside of work?
During my free time, I enjoy watching anime, fantasy TV shows and movies (currently watching Percy Jackson - highly recommend!), working out on weekdays, and spending time with my family and friends.
What made you pick Vigilant?
I chose Vigilant for my third work term primarily because of Terry. Throughout the interview process, he was welcoming and genuinely interested in what my contributions to the team could be . Additionally, the values found at Vigilant and their sense of family within the workplace were just astounding. I definitely lucked out on my selection!
What are most looking forward to learning about?
For my work term, I’m excited to see how projects are managed and how everything comes together to create a successful project. Having experience working with a consulting firm, I’ve seen how the designing of civil projects are done. However, my goal is to understand how projects are planned and scheduled to reach the design stage. Hence, I’m excited about these work terms, and at the end, I want to be able to fully understand what it takes to make a project successful.
EMMA MURNAGHAN
A little bit about yourself
My name is Emma, and I am from Donagh, PEI. I am currently in my fourth year of Civil Engineering at Memorial University of Newfoundland. This is my fifth work term, and my second one at Vigilant!
Job Title and Responsibilities
I work as a Junior Project Manager at Vigilant. I work closely with the project delivery team, helping with project coordination and providing support. My responsibilities include attending project meetings with clients and contractors, documenting meeting minutes, developing RFP packages, cost estimating, conducting site inspections, project reporting, and whatever else the project team requires me to do.
What made you want to come back for another work term with Vigilant?
My first work term with Vigilant was by far the best work term I have had so far in my degree, and deciding to return for another work term was a very easy choice. I not only enjoyed the work I was doing, but I learned many valuable skills that significantly contribute to my future career as a project manager. What I loved most about Vigilant is the diverse range of projects the company engages in, as each day presents a new and different challenge, keeping things exciting and full of new learning experiences. However, beyond the projects, it's the people at Vigilant who made my first work term here so exceptional. The team is friendly, intelligent, helpful, and energetic. This positive and collaborative work atmosphere makes coming to work every day enjoyable.
Favourite moment with Vigilant during your previous term
My favorite moment with Vigilant during my previous work term was the Annual Horseshoe Tournament in August 2023, where I carried my co-worker Jacob to a victory, winning first place in the tournament. An honorable mention would be going to Costco with Lloyd to pick up his new TV, and Lloyd asking a cashier to take a picture of us with the TV in front of the entire front end.
What skills are you looking forward to furthering and what new things are you excited to learn?
With this being my second work term with Vigilant, I am looking to take on more responsibility, increase my workload, perform more challenging tasks, and develop new skills. A few skills in particular that I am looking forward to furthering are cost monitoring, technical writing, and project scheduling. This will not only help me contribute more to the team but also help me grow personally and professionally, aligning with my goal of becoming a project manager.
EWAN MACKENZIE
A little bit about yourself
My name is Ewan and this is my second work term overall and my second at Vigilant. I am a social person and like going out with friends. I also like to keep myself active by working out and playing sports.
Job Title and Responsibilities
My job title is Business Development and Marketing Coordinator. In this role, I do a bit of everything on the business side of things. My responsibilities this term will be expanded versions of what I did last term such as designing RFPs, Co-op hiring, marketing activities, and general work inside the business component of Vigilant. Along with this, I will be learning under Ashley to gain a further understanding of all the aspects of sales.
What made you want to come back for another work term with Vigilant?
There are several reasons I was eager to come back for another work term at Vigilant. To begin I thoroughly enjoyed the work I did during my first term, it was rewarding and had a purpose. I wasn’t just given pointless tasks for the sake of keeping me busy. However, the key determinant for me wanting to return was without a doubt the overall work environment. I genuinely enjoyed going into the office and it felt like hanging out with my friends more than just going to work, I felt like I could just be myself. Everything was done effectively and efficiently and we had fun doing it as well.
Favourite moment with Vigilant during your previous term
My favourite moment without a doubt was the day I was caught bringing a rotisserie chicken in for lunch on the office portal. I had nothing else for lunch and pulled it out of my fridge at the last minute. As I was coming in Terry saw me on his end of the office portal. The all-hands meeting that week was immediately opened with that story being told. Safe to say it was a funny moment that I deservedly didn’t hear the end of. In case anyone reading this was wondering I did in fact eat the whole thing during that lunch break.
What skills are you looking forward to furthering and what new things are you excited to learn?
Two things I am very excited to dive into are the selling of services which is a key component to the functioning of Vigilant as a whole, and cost estimating. The selling part is something I’ve always wanted to learn more about. I feel as though it can tie in very well with my knowledge from my ongoing marketing degree. Accompanying this is cost estimation, which similarly to my growing knowledge of RFP’s is a unique aspect of my job that I wouldn’t have learned anything about anywhere else. Along with this, it is just another interesting element of the construction world I want to know more about. Each of these are brand new concepts for me and things I know will be good to have in my repertoire going forward.
