Celebrating 115 Years of Co-op!

"We built a talent pipeline with co-ops, and it worked amazingly well for us." Chet Kanojia, MS’93, Mechanical Engineering, and Chair of Starry Inc. and Lightbird, Member of Northeastern's Board of Trustees

“Hands down, without the co-op program, I wouldn’t be where I am now.” Sergio Marrero, E’07, Industrial Engineering

“Northeastern co-ops know how to answer questions, how to deal with deadlines, and how to work with us on a range of things.” Brian Briselli, E’11, MS’15, Civil Engineering, and Structural Engineer and Project Manager at Jacobs

“I like to tell people when I left that I kept my co-op job for 34 years.” John Malgeri, E’78, electrical engineering

“The Northeastern co-op program was very important in my life. It’s definitely something that I would recommend anyone to do.” Charles Tan, E’90, electrical and computer engineering, MS’98, software engineering

“If I didn’t have my co-ops, I don’t think I would own my own business today.” Ryan Blair, E’05, Mechanical Engineering and President of NuWave Energy Solutions

“When we get comparable resumes from different schools, there’s just no match for the student with co-op experiences.” Dave Rezac, E’07, Mechanical Engineering, and Global Vice President of AGILE, a Division of Resonetics

“It was a co-op job, but it was a massive immersion both in Germany and Maine. They were life experiences that to this day resonate and will until my last.” Paul Kallmes, E’84, electrical engineering

“Co-op really prepared me for the working world. I wouldn’t have had such a successful career without it.” David Miller, E'71, MS'75, electrical engineering

“I would never have had access to a company like IBM without the co-op program. Not even close.” Michele Lezama, E’88, Industrial Engineering

“I’ve realized working through my career and co-op that there is always something to learn. There are things to learn that you can apply to your career later on.” Paul Meyer, E’73, mechanical engineering

“We love the win-win relationship where the students get real world experience, and DN Tanks gets hard-working students with innovative ideas.” Ed Holmes, E’87, Civil Engineering, and DN Tanks Director of Technical Training and Development

“It’s neat that 25 years later, where I am today is directly linked to two different co-ops. I haven’t had to do a real interview in a company where I didn’t have an already-established connection since 1999.” David Dybala, E’01, electrical and computer engineering

“Co-op gave me the confidence to solve problems, build trust with others, encourage teamwork, and do things right.” Stephen Lynch, E'89, Electrical Engineering, and CEO of Intellastar

“Co-ops are a great springboard for your career. They were a big head start for me.” Quincy Allen, E’82, Electrical Engineering

“The co-op is an excellent opportunity to dip your toe across the fields. None of that experience goes to waste.” Clare Cashen, E’16, mechanical engineering

“Co-op introduced me to my 35-year career in the power industry.” Peter Kushkowski, E’58, mechanical engineering

“Northeastern picked me up as a kid by helping me use the logic that God gave me and apply it to most anything.” Bud Pirrello, E’51, electrical engineering

“One of the things that the co-op program did was expose you to working relationships. Dealing with different personalities was also an educational experience.” John Falkowski, E’63, chemical engineering

“I believe that I wouldn’t have this career if it weren’t for co-op. I think it was that foundational.” Maureen McDonough, E'82, Civil Engineering

“Co-ops were absolutely essential to where I am now. The experience was invaluable.” Kate MacDougall, E'08, Civil Engineering

“Co-ops helped shape me into the person I am, as a student, a professional, and an adult.” Kelly O’Connell, E’16, Civil Engineering

“The foundation of what I learned in co-op has always been there 40 years into my career.” Alan Weinstein, E’84, chemical engineering

“I liked the idea of the co-op, where I could earn my way after the first year. I wouldn’t have gone to college otherwise.” Walter Rowell, E’58, electrical engineering

“I was able to get and do the job I have because of co-ops. To me co-ops have meant everything.” Michael Tormey, E’20, Civil Engineering

“Co-ops gave me the ability to learn and observe others, and that boosted my confidence and made me feel like I could work in these environments and succeed.” Winslow Sargeant, E’86, Electrical Engineering, and member of Northeastern's Board of Trustees

“Fikst’s founders realized early on how incredibly valuable these students can be as contributing engineers to the client-facing work that we do every day.” Adrienne Clark, E'11, Mechanical Engineering, and Director of Engineering Operations at Fikst

“My co-op at Raytheon really formed why I wanted to go into materials or something more nontraditional compared to a lot of my peers.” Sara Canzano, E'19, chemical engineering

“Co-op gave me experience in the real world and in multiple roles, not only from the engineering piece but also some business aspects. A lot of the experience I got on co-op, you certainly don’t get it in a normal degree program.” Willy Burgess, E'81, computer science

"It’s perfectly clear to me that Northeastern gave me the chance of a lifetime.” Robert Kursmark, E'73, Mechanical Engineering

“Go out there and get your hands dirty. See what it feels like, what it smells like, and then you’ll know.” David Long, E'78, mechanical engineering technology

"When I was in college, I thought the best job you could have was entertainment engineering. I’ve come to realize that there are a lot of other jobs out there that are really fun to do." Peter Woskov, E'07, mechanical engineering technology

“I’m so appreciative of the training at Northeastern and how it prepared me for the future.” Robert Goldberg, E'59, Chemical Engineering

“The firms knew that the Northeastern job candidates would be ready to roll." Ralph Noblin, E'76, Civil Engineering

"My career path was made possible by my co-ops because I learned I could try and be successful at different things." Clifford Smith, E’71, MS’73, Chemical Engineering

"It was my first real professional experience...It solidified that I wanted something more in the biomechanics field." Elizabeth Klemm, E’23, bioengineering

“It really helped me to become the engineer that I am today, and I could hit the ground running as soon as I graduated.” Jonathan Gray, E’16, mechanical engineering

“That experience was something that made me more confident once I graduated because I had that experience already working.” Jennifer Dueñas López, MS’23, civil engineering

"My co-op experience was pivotal because it laid a foundation of engineering basics that I rely on to this day." Timothy Williams, E’06, mechanical engineering

“I really wanted to have co-op experiences because...I wanted to make sure that I would understand what I wanted to do in the future.” Sebastian Lojano, E’24, civil engineering

"I hope to use my experience to help cities and towns adopt inexpensive, nature-based solutions to emerging threats from climate change." Louiza Wise, E21, Environmental Engineering

“I didn’t know how much influence the co-op program would have on my career path.” Richard Horowitz, E’74, civil engineering

“It was through my co-op that I was reached out to get the job that I’ve had for 46 years.” Michael Feldman, E’77, mechanical engineering