Hello everyone! It’s Maryam, the Co-op student, back again, working with our most trusted and coolest City Councillor (in my opinion anyway). I’ve learned a lot during my time here, and while I can’t share everything, I do want to mention three things that might benefit you too.

First of all, I was surprised by all the great amenities in Mississauga. We’ve got brand-new libraries (Mississauga Library being my favourite!), many parks (like 500 of them), and stunning scenic trails. There’s so much more to do here than I initially thought. The natural beauty and community spaces truly amazed me, and I’m proud to say that Mississauga is a place where nature and culture blend beautifully, offering everyone plenty to explore and learn. Here are some spots I recommend you check out:

• Kariya Park during Cherry Blossom Season
• Benares Historic House
• Bradley Museum
• Riverwood Conservancy
• Churchill Meadows Community Centre (New)
• Brueckner Rhododendron Gardens

Also, my job has shown me how provincial government rules can shape what we do at the city level. These rules provide a framework for our operations, not dictating every detail but guiding us. This has helped me see how connected different government levels are and why it’s important for us to understand who does what. As residents, we need to be more aware of our local governance and its impact on our daily lives, as well as what our elected officials can and cannot change.

Another valuable lesson from my work experience is how different school is from work. The work environment, deadlines, and the way we work are all quite different—and it’s a good change. In school, we learn a lesson and apply it once to complete a task. But at work, we constantly use various kinds of knowledge and keep learning new things. From this, I’ve learned that the workplace is always changing, requiring me to continuously learn and apply various kinds of knowledge. This is different from school, where I would learn something once to finish a task and might not use it again for a long time. This changing nature of the workplace has taught me to keep adapting and growing and has sparked my excitement to learn even more!

All in all, my time here has been nothing but wonderful. Words cannot fully describe how grateful I am for this incredible experience and the invaluable opportunity that has been given to me to grow professionally and personally.