This summer more than 730 students joined our operations from 60 different universities and community colleges across North America. They gained hands on experience in a vast number of fields. 

"Working with great university and college partners, student co-op and work term experiences are vital to growing the next generation of talent for our organization. We are looking to keep our young people home with rewarding careers at our companies," said Colleen Baxter, Vice President of Human Resources at J.D. Irving, Limited.

We reached out to a few of our summer students to hear about their experience this summer at JDI.

Emily Morgan from Grand Bay Westfield, NB is a Chemical Engineering student at the University of New Brunswick. This summer she completed her second work term with JDI at Irving Paper. 

"The projects I worked on were both memorable and rewarding because it gave me the opportunity to practice both technical and people/communication skills. I was given more responsibility than I ever had been given before and I loved it  I would highly recommend a JDI co-op experience to other engineering students."

Jacob Wall is a Chemical Engineering student at the University of New Brunswick. He has finished a 16-month work term at Irving Pulp & Paper. Prior to his current work term, Jacob completed two 4-month work terms at Irving Tissue and Irving Paper. In 2015, Jacob, from Saint John, NB was also awarded a $32,000 J.D. Irving, Limited NB Scholarship at UNB. 

"This summer, I’ve been involved with an upcoming upgrade to one of our boilers. In this project, I’ve gained experience working on a large team and have had the opportunity to the lead environmental side of the project. It’s grown my technical skills through researching the chemistry involved, and performing engineering and economic calculations. On the practical side, I’ve had to communicate my design ideas to the project team, management, and contractors to ensure we’re meeting our objective of being great stewards of the environment. Last but not least, I’ve enhanced my knowledge of the safety considerations that are required for a project of this magnitude. It has been a great experience and I look forward to staying home in New Brunswick and joining the pulp mill team as a full time employee on graduation."

Darien Edison is a third year Mechanical Engineering student at the University of New Brunswick. This summer Darien returned to JDI for his second work term as a Data Analyst for Atlantic Towing.

"I was really excited and humbled to be back again this summer, and really pushing beyond my comfort zone. I want to use this experience to develop and improve as a future engineer and a better version of myself. It was a great experience!"

Jordan Munn is a second year Electrical Engineering student at the University of New Brunswick. Jordan worked as an Operations Analyst for NBSR this summer. 

"I'm excited to have had this opportunity to work with JDI because I like working in a team environment, and I enjoy doing challenging work."

Noah Hartery is a second year Chemical Engineering student from the University of New Brunswick. This summer Noah worked as a Project Analyst for the JDI Logistics team.

"JDI Logistics has an impressive team and I am very fortunate to have been a part of it for the summer! Everyone has taught me so much about the world of transportation and logistics. Working on the project analytics side of the business has been very interesting, and I've learned skills and tips that I will be using for the rest of my career!"

Alex McGaw is a Mechanical Engineering student at Dalhousie University. This summer Alex worked as a Mechanical Engineering Student with CFM. This was his first co-op term with JDI.

"The most rewarding project I worked on this summer has been reorganizing the layout and re-planning the work procedures of the Warehouse. This project involved using tools from LEAN manufacturing as well as conforming the 5S organization standards. I was able to improve my understanding of both concepts, as well as learn important lessons of what it takes to make changes in a workplace. JDI offered an amazing co-op experience!"

Justin Ferguson is taking Geological Engineering at the University of New Brunswick. This summer Justin worked at Irving Wallboard as a Geological Engineering Student.

"I really enjoyed being involved with project work on the gypsum quarry. It has given me exposure to project management and I have been able to work on things directly related to my studies in school. It has been such a great experience being involved in such a large-scale project!" 

Nick Pellerin is a Business Administration student at the University of New Brunswick. He has just finished his fifth summer with JDI as a Tree Planting Supervisor.

"My summers with JDI have been nothing but great. Being home every night with very competitive wages make it a very appealing place to work."

Adam Zorychta is a Mechanical Engineering student at Dalhousie University. Adam has completed his first co-op term at JDI, as an Associate Engineer at Sproule Lumber in Truro, Nova Scotia.

"My experience at J.D. Irving has been very beneficial with many opportunities for development, and practical application of engineering concepts."

Ashlyn Moody is a Chemical Engineering student at the University of New Brunswick. She has completed her second work term with JDI as a Chemical Engineering Assistant at Grand Lake Timber.

“As a returning summer student, it is interesting to see the progression in my level of understanding of the sawmill industry, as well as the complexity of the projects I have been assigned. This summer I had the advantage of starting my co-op with a basic understanding of the operation I was entering. This provided me more time to dive into projects, as well as to become familiar with more detailed parts of the sawmill and planer mill operations.”

Nandi Kaul is a Masters of Business Administration student at the University of New Brunswick. Nandi worked for the Corporate Communication group this summer as a Communications Summer Student.

Nandi's most memorable project was working on the Corporate Sustainability Report.

"The project which I found memorable, which stretched my boundaries, was the Sustainability Website project I worked on. I helped create a prototype website and present my work to senior management, gaining valuable feedback. This project tapped into my capabilities holistically. From design skills, written content, image curation and data crunching, I learned how to tell a story with greater impact. I am really grateful for this opportunity and would encourage all students to do a co-op term at JDI."

Olena Yevstihnieieva was offered a full-time job after completing her work term this summer. Olena works for the Information Technology team at JDI's Head Office in Saint John. She has received her Diploma in Web and Mobile Application from NBCC Moncton.

"I've worked on several projects throughout my co-op. The most interesting one was to create an app.   I found this work to be both exciting and challenging because of the impact it made in the company - saving time by creating charts dynamically. It was a joy to work on a project that can be helpful to a business."

Maddie Patridge is a Business Administration student at Acadia University. She has completed her first co-op term with Irving Consumer Products in Moncton. 

“I’ve enjoyed soaking in all the valuable knowledge and insights my colleagues have offered me daily. Everyone was so welcoming, and it made me strive to be the best version of myself. Throughout the summer, I’ve had the opportunity assist with many special projects and events.”

Ryan Comeau is taking Mechanical Engineering at Dalhousie University. This summer he completed his second work term with Irving Shipbuilding as an Engineering Student. 

“My favorite part of my co-op terms with Irving Shipbuilding is getting to work on large scale capital projects in a fast-paced and exciting environment, and meeting new people. Working at the Halifax Shipyard has been a great learning experience. I have learned so much about my field of study that will be helpful later in my career.”

Jenna Norman is taking Environmental Engineering at Nova Scotia Community College. She worked at Irving Shipbuilding this summer as an Environmental Assistant in the Safety and Environment Department.

“Working with Irving Shipbuilding has provided me with a unique opportunity to learn about my field of study in an extremely fast-paced, industrial environment. With an endless number of projects and initiatives to work on at Halifax Shipyard, there is never a dull moment! Working with the Health, Safety and Environment team, I have been able to see the inner workings of the company’s environmental programs, while also gaining insight into ISI’s workplace safety initiatives- which I may not have had the opportunity to learn about elsewhere.”

Jennine Punzalan is currently studying at the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University. She is working for Irving Shipbuilding as a Legal Summer Student.

“I am really enjoying working with Irving Shipbuilding! There is a wide variety of exciting projects to work on, and I am being exposed to areas of law that I would not have seen elsewhere. The Halifax Shipyard is home to a great work environment. While it is busy, everyone is kind, friendly and pleasant to work with. I especially appreciate that the Legal Department is dedicated to making sure that I get the most out of my time here.”

Carter Roderick is going into his fourth year of his Bachelor of Commerce at Saint Mary's University.  This summer Carter worked for Kent Building Supplies as a Marketing Assistant. 

"I have had a fantastic experience this summer working with Kent Building Supplies' Marketing team! I felt like I was a part of the team and was happy to work on and provide a fresh perspective to  some of the important projects they have in the works."

Congratulations and thank you to all our summer students for your contributions this term. We are looking forward to welcoming on our fall 2019 students this upcoming week.

Interested in a JDI co-op experience? Visit students.jdirving.com/co-ops-internships/