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Pauleanne Codilla

Like many of today’s students, Pauleanne Codilla started her university experience with a laptop and a Zoom link, rather than a bustling lecture hall.

It was fall 2020, just months into the pandemic that would continue to disrupt in-person learning for the next two years. Despite living away from her family in Fort St. John, B.C., Codilla persevered through the uncertain and isolating semesters. Facing burnout in her third year, Codilla sought a way to rejuvenate her academic experience.

That’s when she heard about Arts Work Experience (AWE) — a flexible º£½ÇÉçÇø program that connects arts students to paid work, allowing them to temporarily trade the classroom for the workplace and apply their knowledge in a supportive and professional environment.

Experiential learning opportunities are essential to student success, and are a key area supported by Shape the Future, a campaign focused on helping students reach their full potential. By supporting the campaign, donors can enhance the student experience in two other areas: creating safe, welcoming spaces, and through scholarships, awards and bursaries.

Codilla credits AWE for the chance to gain work experience early, helping to open doors for students like her to become leaders, innovators and change makers.

“When I found out there was an option to get industry skills as a student, I thought, ‘I’m in,’” says Codilla, who participated in a twelve-month co-op as a student services and engagement intern for the Faculty of Arts. “You actually get to practice the things you learn.”

Every year, the º£½ÇÉçÇø connects thousands of students to experiential learning opportunities where they build confidence, uncover new passions and develop skills to succeed in the workforce. Across the university, donors are involved in experiential learning initiatives from innovative engineering projects to experiential ecological research — investing in student success and world-changing work.

In the Faculty of Arts, donors can give to the Arts Beyond the Classroom (ABC) Fund and help connect the faculty’s 6,000-plus students to work experiences, empowering them to build successful careers and communities. In addition to the Arts Work Experience program, the ABC Fund also supports Community Service Learning, Study Abroad and work-integrated learning. For example, donors to ABC support Community Service Learning to make new partnerships, allowing more students to connect their education to everyday issues in the Edmonton area.

A psychology major, Codilla spent her co-op year planning student wellness events and leading one-to-one academic advising sessions. “What you say can [change] someone’s perceptions about themselves or about university … learning how to handle those sensitive conversations is such an important skill,” she says, adding that the experience also helped her grow in time management and leadership.

Now in her fifth and final year, Codilla credits the work experience program with shifting both her academic and vocational journey. “​​After my co-op, I appreciate the value of education even more,” she says. “I got so much from this — not only the skills I developed but confidence that will help shape my career path for the future.”

Codilla already leveraged her co-op experience to land a part-time job with the º£½ÇÉçÇø’s Career Centre, where she continues to prepare for life after undergrad. She plans to pursue graduate school and a career in health policy or health law where she hopes to advocate for equitable access to care.

“The experiential learning opportunities the º£½ÇÉçÇø provides have been life-changing for me,” says Codilla. “These programs give students skills, confidence and a clearer path forward. These opportunities can transform the future of so many more students, and they’re only made possible with donor and community support.”