Meet Janine Quiambao – the newest member of Cathexis. Janine joins us as a co-op student in the research assistant position!
Why I chose Cathexis for my co-op placement
As a University of Waterloo public health co-op student, I had the opportunity to gain rich experiences in diverse settings. I chose Cathexis as my final co-op placement because I have never been exposed to the consulting side of things.
Studying public health has taught me about the importance of evaluating different interventions and programs with the perspectives of different stakeholders at the centre. Measuring the impact of a program is extremely valuable because it reveals what works and what does not. Taking steps to improve a program based on evaluation evidence that gathers the perspectives of stakeholders is a win-win: program personnel and program beneficiaries (such as community members) benefit by increasing the efficacy of their initiative from having their perspectives considered when making these improvements.
My experience as a co-op student at Cathexis
My experience at Cathexis has been amazing and it has only been a couple of months. It feels like every week I’m learning a new skill and all these skills are transferrable.
In just two months I’ve learned how to use different software for qualitative and quantitative analysis, how to tell stories with data, and have been able to apply what I learn in school to the workplace. A project I’m currently supporting that is allowing me to explore qualitative research is for a program that aims to support more equity, diversity, and inclusion initiative in post-secondary education and research. I have learned how to code interview responses using NVivo qualitative data analysis software and am currently assisting in drafting a technical report.
Through supporting this project, I realized that I enjoy qualitative analysis. Hearing different perspectives and experiences, finding themes from these, and identifying barriers and facilitators to the initiative based on stakeholder perceptions has been interesting.
It has only been a few months and thanks to Cathexis, I have been able to support several projects, learned a handful of new skills, and further develop my understanding of consulting!