This year, a group of Niagara College students from a range of programs had a once-in-a-lifetime crash course in being team players.

Ivy Cassibo, Precious Etele, Paige Rodrigues, and Coleman Power leveraged their Niagara College experience as interns with organizers of the upcoming Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games, August 6 to 21. The student interns supported various elements of Games preparation, from volunteer services to customer service, hiring, media relations, web development and more.

For second-year Sport Management program student Cassibo of Port Perry, her internship was experiential learning at its finest.

“This is an experience you only get once in a lifetime,” said Cassibo. “Seeing the inner workings of a major game such as this is incredibly rewarding.”

Cassibo took on the role of games assistant in the Uniform Distribution and Accreditation Center. Cassibo assisted with the scheduling and planning of 4,500 volunteers, as well as serving as the supervisor for the volunteer ambassador team.

“I am gaining experience in many areas of event management. The people that I work with are acting as mentors by giving me advice and providing me opportunities to grow,” she said.

Human Resource Management student Rodrigues served as Human Resource Intern, assisting the Volunteer Services team with the screening of 2,000 games volunteers. She was also responsible for recruiting, screening, selecting, scheduling and outfitting over 4,000 games volunteers.

“The practical experience boosted my confidence in the knowledge I gained throughout my Human Resource Management course,” said Rodrigues, originally from India. “From interviewing people, and working on background checks to learning about creating rosters as per people’s availability, my internship covered all the bases required in HR.”

She added that her managers supported her learning by giving her additional tasks and opportunities to observe to get a wholistic view of the HR profession.

International student Precious Etele of Lagos, Nigeria expects to graduate from the Human Resource Management program in October, taking with her the 262 hours of experience as an HR Intern with the N22 Games.

Etele supported HR functions for a variety of areas within the organization including screening and background checks for medical service professionals such as nurses, physical therapists and massage therapists.

The experience was a perfect fit for Etele who loves meeting new people.

“I was so happy to go through the whole process. I was here for the experience and it was an amazing opportunity to learn,” said Etele, who honed her time management skills while also technical skills like building excel spreadsheets.

A former football and volleyball athlete, Etele is eager to experience a lacrosse match for the first time at the N22 Games this August.

Final year Sport Management student Coleman Power is working alongside Media and Communications Manager Christopher Séguin as a Media and Communications intern. Power, who lives in Hamilton adn was raised in West Lincoln, thanks his NC teachers for laying the foundation for his internship.

“The information and resources provided by the teachers within the Sports Management program have been very relatable and beneficial during this internship. A lot of the content I have been taught I have been able to transfer over and apply during the first half of my internship. The course has put me in a great position to succeed and I can’t thank the staff at Niagara College enough for their tremendous support and knowledge.”

One of Power’s projects has been to develop a digital presence for the 13 For 13 Cultural Festival – a series of nightly events during the Games that will showcase the unique cultural heritage, entertainment, art, and culinary experiences of Canada’s provinces and territories. Power has also compiled venue and athlete details as part of press kit materials to help local, provincial and national media cover the historic Games.

“Having the opportunity to be involved in such an important event within our country, one that will help shape the lives of young Canadian athletes, is the best part of this internship. As a father to a young athlete myself, this makes the experience that much more enjoyable and fulfilling,” said Power.

Sign up to volunteer by July 6

It’s not too late for NC students to get involved with the once-in-a-lifetime N22 Canada Summer Games.

“It does not matter if you do not come from a sports background – everyone has an opportunity to participate as a spectator or volunteer within the games,” said Cassibo.

Rodrigues says that volunteering with the Games is a unique opportunity to build both your network and resume. “I have built an amazing network of people since I have joined here and am ever so grateful and honoured that I got the opportunity to be a part of this great event.”

Students who want to volunteer can apply online or visit the Meridian Volunteer Centre located at the Pen Centre mall.

Tickets on sale now, Games at NC

Help support and cheer on young, up-and-coming Canadian athletes at the N22 Games, August 6-21, 2022.

Ticket types range from all-access day passes to sport-specific day and weekly passes. Tickets to sport-specific day events are $15. You can also purchase tickets to attend the opening ceremonies.

For ticket sale information, visit the Canada Summer Games website and click “Purchase Tickets.”

NC is sharing hosting duties for basketball in week one (August 8 to 13) with the Meridian Centre, and volleyball in week two (August 16 to 21) with Canada Games Park. The Welland Campus will proudly host the semi-finals for women’s basketball on August 12.

Don’t miss your chance to sit courtside at these historic games held at the Welland Campus.