We are so proud of the amazing work our students do all over the world!
To showcase these experiences, Royal Roads University hosts an annual Internship Photo Contest to feature students applying their education in internships and to highlight the uniqueness and diversity of these educational opportunities.
Current students can find the application and eligibility rules on the Awards page.
Employers, reach out to the Career and Learning Development team if you have work-integrated learning opportunities for our students.
2023-2024, Eisa Paranich, BA in Global Tourism Management
For my RRU internship, I was Housekeeping Supervisor at the Fairways Hotel on the Mountain. Working as a supervisor allowed me to challenge myself, enhance my learning and passion for the tourism sector as well as take on new responsibilities that I will use as a stepping stone to pursuing my career goals. I adore the hotel industry, and aim to work my way up to a managerial position whether that may be in the housekeeping department or front desk. I developed leadership skills and a more in-depth understanding of hotel operations. I also learned the importance of optimizing guest satisfaction - All incredibly valuable skills that I will keep with me as I continue to work in the industry.
This is a photo of me in my work uniform at the entrance sign of the Fairways Hotel.
2022-2023, Ahamed Naveed Hasan, Master of Global Management
The internship part of my MGM degree at RRU was an exhilarating journey. I was offered a position in a different province, far away from Victoria. When I got my offer as a Relationship Manager intern from the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) Commercial Banking division in Thunder Bay, Ontario, I had mixed emotions as it meant I would have to leave the beautiful Vancouver Island and move to unknown territory even before completing my degree. But it was also very exciting as I had landed a robust internship as a corporate manager with Canada’s largest bank. The guidance from my career advisors at RRU, especially Sue Brown, helped me to be ambitious. Completing the Internship helped me land a permanent position at RBC as a Relationship Manager, Commercial Financial Services.
This is a photo of me right after accepting the Internship offer from RBC.
2022 - 2023, Kayla Ngo, BA in International Hotel Management
My career goal is to become a Human Resources leader in the hospitality industry, specifically in an international hotel brand in Canada. Because of that, I aimed to gain work experience in as many hotel departments as possible. I wanted to put myself in employees' shoes to learn to understand what they have been through and find innovative ways to support them and the organization.
As I had never worked in a hotel's Reservations and Revenue department before, my internship opportunity at the Inn at Laurel Point helped me explore how the Reservations and Revenue department functions. I also learned to understand the skills, duties and needs of people working in this department. Additionally, this internship taught me to be more patient when communicating with guests and colleagues. I learned to understand their needs, demonstrate that I heard them, and proactively address their situations.
Working with the fabulous Reservations team in our office at the Inn at Laurel Point.
2019-2020 - Narinder Kaur, Master of Global Management
Doing my internship at the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society (VIRCS) enabled me to practice management tasks while encountering people from diverse cultural backgrounds.
At the emergency food initiative program run by VIRCS during the pandemic, I learned about the challenges managers face to run these programs successfully. Furthermore, being part of this program team gave me practical experience in client service and teamwork. The vital learning in my internship experience will be helpful for my career endeavours where I aim to become a professional Human Resources practitioner.
In this photo I am working in the food storage room at the emergency food initiative program run by VIRCS during the pandemic.
2019-2020 - Reana Miller, BA in Global Tourism Management
My career goals are to manage a gallery and start a business where I provide professional services for creative businesses, organizations and municipalities. My internship with Ahtsik Native Art Gallery placed me right in the thick of the gallery I aspire to remain a part of, in a position where I could manage projects independently, advise the owner about business decisions and continue to learn about woodworking and coastal traditional art. I also created a foundation for growth for the gallery.
In this photo I am at the feature exhibition wall of Ahtsik Gallery helping the owner install a partially completed sun hawk mask woodcarving by the late John Livingston. The owner will be completing the project.
2019 - 2020, Ricardo Ramirez, Master of Global Management
For my internship in the Master of Global Management (MGM) program, I worked as a Human Resources consultant at ISM Canada, an IBM company. After work, I often met with my friend and fellow MGM student Burak to talk about our internships and our plans for after graduation. We also supported each other in our areas of expertise. The internship has been a great opportunity to gain Canadian experience and to present ourselves to the global market.
2018-2019 - Vivian Trinh, MAIIC
My internship sparked my curiosity in intercultural communication and the importance of framing our language, worldviews, and values within a global context. I am passionate about the international education sector, and this internship allowed me to apply the skills I developed in the MAIIC program. I also gained insight into international education from a different perspective. My internship with CRCC Asia allowed me to focus on supporting participants’ intercultural competencies, an area I am very interested in. In addition, as a second-generation Vietnamese-Canadian, it has allowed me to explore my own culture by living in Vietnam.
This photo is of me delivering a resume workshop as part of the leaving ceremony for CRCC Asia’s Ho Chi Minh City internship program.
2018 - 2019, Lydia Wang, BA in Global Tourism Management
My goals are to focus on customer service and guest experience in British Columbia. This internship helped me achieve my goals because Westcoast Sightseeing includes the most tourism in Vancouver and Vancouver Island. My main job was introducing the attractions and the city to tourists from different countries; therefore, this job supplemented my knowledge of British Columbia and developed my customer service. I had many experiences meeting tourists' demands about their vacations and helped give every tourist a good impression of Westcoast Sightseeing and Western Canada.
One of the gorgeous views I saw during my internship.
2017-2018, Chaoran Zhang, MA in Tourism Management
My career goals include being a professional and expert in the hospitality industry. More than that, I am interested in different cultures and I am planning to learn a third language. My Internship at the Magnolia Hotel and Spa gave me a great platform to communicate with guests and colleagues from diverse backgrounds.
My photo showcases my attitude at work with colleagues and guests. A warm smile is friendly to guests and makes them feel like they are at a home away from home.
2017-2018, Katie Burbank, BA in Global Tourism Management
My career goals have always been on the travel and tourism path. I have extensive guiding and program coordinating experience, but my summer internship with Pedalheads gave me the opportunity to extend my skills in a management position. I have now gained the Manager title that will enhance my resume. This opportunity, paired with my Bachelor’s degree from RRU will help propel me towards my ultimate goal of managing or owning my own outdoor adventure tourism business.
This selfie shows me (right) with Sydney, one of our trainers (and my friend) during the first week of work.
