For Ivey students, summer provides more than just a break from their usual school routine. Joaquin Cacho-Sousa, HBA ’24 candidate, spent his summer helping organize the #STEP4WATER campaign with the aim of raising $27,000 to construct wells in southern African country, Zambia.
Having been raised in South America, Cacho-Sousa says he has witnessed firsthand the poverty many children face. He says it feels rewarding to see his everyday work impact the lives of thousands of children in marginalized communities from developing countries.
Many Ivey students like Cacho-Sousa spend their summers working with organizations they are passionate about. Not only can students experience working with an organization they are interested in, but they also develop workplace skills and knowledge outside their academic studies.
Ivey Career Management is a great source for students searching for employment opportunities, temporary or full-time, with more than 2,000 corporate partners seeking students with a variety of expertise. This summer, Ivey students worked at numerous unique and exciting organizations. Below some of our students share their experiences and what it meant to them.
Joaquin Cacho-Sousa, HBA ’24 candidate
Cacho-Sousa wanted an internship that would allow him to create a positive impact in marginalized communities globally. Good Neighbors Canada provided that opportunity through its diverse international initiatives where he worked as a Fundraiser Assistant. Good Neighbors Canada is the Canadian branch of the international humanitarian development non-governmental organization. Cacho-Sousa works on planning fundraising events and connecting with large corporation executives in search of partnership opportunities.
Cacho-Sousa was drawn to Good Neighbors Canada because of his connection with their campaigns. Being a native of Peru, Cacho-Sousa had a particular connection to the Better Life for Girls program in El Salvador and Guatemala. This program focuses on empowering girls between the ages of 10 and 18 by providing them with English language training, financial literacy, and skills in entrepreneurship and leadership.
Working with Good Neighbors Canada has been extremely rewarding for Cacho-Sousa. He says being able to provide opportunities for children to break the cycle of poverty makes him happy, and his everyday actions drive real-life, measurable, positive impact.
"Having the ability to completely positively change the lives of orphans and marginalized children worldwide with our everyday activities is what motivates me to go to work every day and try my hardest while doing it.” - Joaquin Cacho-Sousa, HBA ’24 candidate
Qail Keshavjee, HBA ’24 candidate
Keshavjee worked as a Summer Associate with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE). Keshavjee was exposed to a variety of sports business projects, such as revenue strategy, partnership development, media integrations, commercial strategy and creative, and partnership marketing. Keshavjee says he enjoyed his work with MLSE because of this variety in workloads. For him, no two days were the same.
Working with MLSE provided unique opportunities many sports fans like Keshavjee dream of. Keshavjee says he spent time playing basketball at the Toronto Raptors practice facilities or watching Toronto FC games after work. Besides the recreational opportunities, his time at MLSE provided many unique learning experiences.
“The amount of exposure I get within the role is unmatched. Due to the rotational nature of the position, I get to explore everything there is to know about the sports industry. When communicating with current partners or prospecting new ones for the Toronto Raptors, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Toronto FC, I get to learn more about a wide range of industries, market trends, and key players. This role has also given me the chance to vastly expand my network. When I reach out to various firms, I'm communicating with company executives, founders, directors, chief marketing officers, and others.” - Qail Keshavjee, HBA ’24 candidate
Sky Zhang, HBA ’24 candidate
Zhang spent her summer working with World Vision Canada as a Data Management and Analytics Intern. This was a remote internship, allowing her to visit family in China while handling other responsibilities such as serving as the VP of Communication for the Ivey Sales Club. Zhang was responsible for a variety of different tasks including data management, analytics, research, and reporting. Zhang had the unique opportunity to develop a team dashboard to help her team leaders make informed decisions, monitor progress, and enhance collaboration.
“With the support of the team, I took the initiative to make a positive impact on the team's working efficiency as an intern. Over time, my dashboard became more mature, and I grew stronger in handling uncertainties and being proactive in exploring new areas. I learned how to use resources wisely to master new challenges effectively.” - Sky Zhang, HBA ’24 candidate
Find your job opportunity with Ivey Career Management
Ivey Career Management helps to foster and maintain relationships with Ivey’s corporate partners who make internship opportunities available. Many HBA students take the opportunity from these relationships by securing internships between HBA1 and HBA2, further helping them to refine their career goals long-term.
For more information on summer internship opportunities and Ivey’s corporate partnerships visit the Ivey Employment Reports.
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