Growing up, Andrea loved art. She inherited her creativity from her mom, whose baking skills, party planning and décor made every celebration memorable. Her dad, an analytical, numbers-driven mechanical engineer, is the opposite. Drawing inspiration from both, Andrea found a path that blended creativity and technical thinking: architectural technology.
With her parents’ encouragement and support, she also made an enterprising decision for her future. Straight out of high school, Andrea decided to move from Mexico to Canada to attend Mohawk College.
“Architecture is a way you can make art in a different way,” Andrea says. “You also need to know about math, systems and physics, but you have the opportunity to start projects that may stay there forever, and a part of you is in that place. So, that motivated me to start the program. Also, my dad told me, ‘I think architecture will make you take advantage of your creative skills.’ It was a big inspiration.”
Leaning into industry-led learning
After arriving at Mohawk College, Andrea quickly turned her motivation into action. From the start of the Architectural Technology program, she found herself learning to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and tackle sustainable building challenges through industry-led learning. The hands-on curriculum, which includes three co-op terms, also gave her a chance to apply classroom skills in real-world scenarios.
But when Andrea was offered an estimating position at a roofing metals and sheeting company for her first co-op, she hesitated. Estimating—calculating the cost of materials, labour and other elements of a construction project—was one of the technical skills she found most challenging. Unsure of her capabilities, she turned to a professor for advice.
“She told me, ‘That’s why you need to take the job. Then you’re going to be an expert. All students that go for an estimating job, they come back from co-op and they are on top of their class,’” Andrea recalls. “I took the job, and then I started liking it because I started understanding it.”
It became clear that, just as important as the industry-led learning, were the professors who guided her through it. Andrea says the Architectural Technology faculty members not only care about their students’ success, but also bring an enthusiasm that makes learning more engaging and accessible.
“We’re lucky because we have people who really enjoy what they do,” she says. “My structural design professor’s class is the most challenging class we have had since the first semester and even if you’re not good in his class, he’s always encouraging. Another professor we have is an architect. She’s really creative, and I love how she explains her subject. She doesn’t say, ‘No, don’t go for this design.’ It’s more like, ‘If you go for this design, you need to consider all of these options.’”
Expanding her enterprising approach
As her confidence grew, so did Andrea’s approach to making the most of her education. She didn’t just focus on co-op and coursework; she explored every resource Mohawk had to offer.
Andrea attended networking events like Meet the Grad Night, where Engineering Technology students connect with Mohawk alumni representing companies in attendance. She participated in a leadership program and worked on campus at Mohawk International, helping other students navigate their educational journey in Canada.
“When you start looking for your co-op, you don’t have much experience in your related field,” she says. “So, take advantage of on-campus opportunities and resources because it looks really good on your resume.”
These experiences not only enhanced her time at Mohawk College but also strengthened the soft skills she’ll bring to her final co-op as a project co-ordinator for a general contractor. Unlike with the estimating co-op opportunity, when Andrea hesitated out of fear of lacking the necessary skills, she didn’t let a new challenge hold her back. Even though the position required access to a vehicle she didn’t have, Andrea leaned on the experience and skills she’d already gained, applied anyway and got the job.
“Mohawk College helped me think out of the box,” says Andrea, who is finishing the program in the design stream and hopes to become a project manager after graduation. “I’m so grateful I’m graduating with hands-on experience and being able to meet such amazing people in the school events and at my co-op experiences. It truly makes a difference.”
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