Get to Know: Our Winter Co-op Students 

DAISY FAKROGHA, Dam Safety Team
Civil Engineering, Term 4 (MUN)

Daisy’s passion for understanding the world around her is what steered her towards the path of civil engineering – a field which allows her learn about the intricate workings of our world.

Daisy is back at Hydro for her second work team with our Civil Engineering Services and Dam Safety Team. She is fascinated by the complexities of dam engineering and the crucial role it plays in generating hydroelectricity. Her days in-office mean she’s immersed in technical report writing and drafting dam engineering drawings using AutoCAD. She’s also diving into research on cutting-edge dam maintenance and management technologies to stay on top of the latest industry practices. She finds herself loving that her work is a constant learning experience.

Fun Fact: Daisy is from Nigeria and when she’s not diving into textbooks, you can find her lost in the pages of African literature, crafting poems, cooking, volunteering at church or working on her part time side hustle.

“What inspires me most about the energy industry is seeing the global community embracing a sustainable future through renewable energy sources. We’re all working towards the same goal – I’m proud to be a part of it and am ready to make a positive impact in the world.”

FAIZAH RIDWAN SARWAR, Support Services Team, Regulated Engineering
Commerce, Accounting (MUN)

Faizah has always been motivated to be financially independent. She decided to move to Canada to pursue her Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and is excited to eventually pursue her Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation.

Although Faizah is working in our Engineering department, her work keeps her tightly tied to our Finance team. Her days hum with the familiar rhythm of the corporate world as she spends her days in our St. John’s office tracking invoices, checking payments, ensuring accurate record-keeping and collaborating with her “amazing and supportive team members.” She also enjoys that they are able to bond outside of regular work duties, including a recent internal bake sale to raise money for SPANL. Faizah knows that reliable electricity is something people depend on every day, and knowing her work supports this makes her feel like she’s contributing to something bigger. She finds it fulfilling to be part of a team committed to a common goal, ensuring people have access to safe and sustainable energy.

Fun Fact: Faizah loves watching movies with her cats Cookie and Cairo (particularly horror, thrillers and rom-coms). She also has a passion for travel – she’s visited seven countries, so far, and loves exploring different cuisines and experiencing new cultures.

“Beyond career growth, I chose Hydro for their strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. A friend, who previously completed a co-op here, expressed how Hydro supports diversity and an inclusive work environment. As an international student, this is important to me and Hydro embodies those values.”

HANNAH JENKINS, LTAP Team
Electrical Engineering, Term 7 (MUN)

Hannah always knew she had a keen interest in science and applying scientific principles to real-world situations while creating tangible solutions to problems. She was inspired to pursue electrical engineering after talking to her friend’s father about his career in Protection and Controls.

Hannah has had previous work terms with Newfoundland Power and Growler Energy and was excited to join our Long Term Asset Planning (LTAP) Team here at Hydro to further build on her experiences. Her work with this team focuses on power transformers and is mostly related to asset management and transformer preventative maintenance. Some of her most frequent tasks include analyzing data/samples to get an idea of asset health and identifying suitable replacements for power transformer bushings. She also updates asset records and long term plans for power transformers.

Fun Fact: Hannah is from St. John’s. She enjoys running, hiking, sea kayaking and going to the gym. She has been in a choir since she was a kid, and likes making music with her friends.

“My favourite experiences have been getting to go out on site. I love getting to see first-hand the work that I help with behind the scenes and having the opportunity to work with industry leaders in the field I plan to have a future career in.”

JACOB SHEPPARD, Regulated Engineering Services Team
Mechanical Engineering, Term 4 (MUN)

For Jacob, a career in engineering has been a no-brainer for as long as he can remember. He has always had interest in the inner workings of mechanical systems and love for design, math and physics so this was always where he was meant to be.

Jacob’s work, as part of our Regulated Engineering Services Team often includes meetings and occasional site visits – of which his favourite was a visit to our Holyrood Thermal Generating Station.

Fun Fact: Jacob is a very active person and growing up he played just about every sport he could. When not playing sports, he spends his time outdoors fishing, hiking, or going on quad/snowmobile.

“The energy industry is interesting, and ever changing. As we make the shift towards renewable energy, generation methods are becoming more and more efficient. I’m very excited to see how it progresses in the future, and I would love to be a part of it.”

JADZIA PENNEY, Engineering Services Team
Electrical Engineering, Term 7 (MUN)

Jadzia has been competing in MATE ROV competitions since grade nine and her interest in designing and building robots is what made engineering such an attractive career path.

As part of our Engineering Services Team, Jadzia works on many different projects including replacing disconnect switches, installing oil monitoring systems on transformers and completing lighting upgrades for terminal stations. This work requires her to create drawings and construction packages and her favorite experience so far has been visiting a terminal station for a site visit to see in-person some of what she has been working on.

Fun Fact: Jadzia is the CMO of Eastern Edge Robotics, a student design team at MUN that creates underwater ROVs to compete in the MATE ROV World Championships each year. She is also an avid reader and writer with a Bachelor’s degree in English.

“Since I’m from Bishop’s Falls, my first impression of what electrical engineers can do was through Hydro, so to now be working here myself feels like a full circle moment. It’s really exciting to be a part of energy production – something that everyone uses and needs – especially when involved with a company like Hydro. It feels good to make a positive impact.”

JAYDA SQUIRES, Menihek Operations Team
Electrical Engineering, Term 4 (MUN)

Jayda was inspired to choose electrical engineering as she has always had a love for math, physics, and problem-solving. She hopes to use these skills to make a positive difference in society.

This is Jayda’s second work term, but her first with Hydro. Since her team supports the operations of the Menihek Generating Station, her day typically includes updating maintenance data spreadsheets, attending project meetings and reviewing data and trends to learn more about how hydroelectric generation works and the electrical components involved. Jayda is looking forward to visiting the Menihek Generation Site to see the operations firsthand.

Fun Fact: Jayda is originally from Marystown and enjoys cooking, baking and discovering new hiking trails.

“I wanted to complete a work term with Hydro because their work and values align with my passion for sustainability and renewable energy. I’m excited to work with a team that holds a commitment to excellence in the energy industry and it’s very fulfilling to help make a positive difference in the world and provide renewable energy to our communities.”

NATALIE MOSS, Compensation and Benefits Team
Commerce, Term 4 (MUN)

Natalie knows that working in Human Resources allows her to contribute to creating a work environment where employees are able to thrive and feel supported. It’s this motivator that inspired her to follow this career path, to help foster positive change.

This is Natalie’s first work term and she was drawn to Hydro because of a focus on inclusivity and innovation, which aligns with her own values and aspirations to contribute to a forward-thinking and diverse workplace. As part of our Compensation and Benefits Team, Natalie is gaining insight into compensation policies, salary administration, job evaluation, and system processes. She is excited to be working in an industry that focuses on innovation while conserving our environment.

Fun Fact: Natalie is on a synchronized skating team with the Mount Pearl-Paradise Skating Club. She has been skating for 16 years and loves the collaboration and creativity that it brings to her life. She is also the elected Fundraising Representative for the MUN Bachelor of Commerce (Co-op) Class of 2027 Student Council.

“My favorite experience from Hydro so far has just been the mentorship and collaboration I have experienced here. Working alongside such passionate and focused individuals has inspired me to stay driven and focused as I pursue my career.”

OLUWADEMILADE JAMES, Non-Regulated Engineering Capital Planning Team
Mechanical Engineering, Term 4 (MUN)

Growing up, Oluwademilade’s mother studied mathematics and his father and uncles are all engineers, which heavily influenced his interests, fostering an interest in math and physics concepts and their application in the real world. This interest encouraged him to pursue a mechanical engineering degree.

As part of our Non-Regulated Engineering Capital Planning Team, Oluwademilade reviews FEED alignment documents, writes proposals, coordinates with stakeholders and collects vendor quotes to create estimates. His experience with this team is helping him build on foundational skills he will need for his work as an engineer.

Fun Fact: Faith is a huge part of life for Oluwademilade. He enjoys creative expression through writing, journaling, photography and music – he sings with three choirs in St. John’s.

“As the primary generator of electricity in the province, Hydro is the best place for me to learn first-hand what is involved in renewable energy generation. Many of my friends who worked at Hydro, had really good things to say about the culture and work environment.”