01

Introduction

Welcome to my Summer 2026 co-op report about my experience as a Web Applications Developer Co-op at Kenna.

In mid December 2025, I began searching for my first co-op opportunity and came across Kenna's Web Applications Developer position. I was immediately drawn to the company's unique intersection of agriculture and software.

After speaking with former co-op students and current developers, I became even more confident that Kenna would be a great place to learn. They described a welcoming environment, friendly coworkers, and many opportunities to connect through social events.

My time as a "Kennadian" gave me the opportunity to meet amazing people, strengthen my technical and communication skills, and gain valuable experience working as part of a professional software development team.

Kenna office space
Kenna's office space, where I spent my in-person workdays.
02

Information About Kenna

Kenna welcome package
Some items from my welcome package that I got in the first week of my term

About Kenna

Kenna is a Mississauga-based marketing solutions company that helps organizations create better and more connected experiences for their customers. Its work brings together strategy, data, technology, design, and marketing to support clients throughout the customer journey. What interested me most about Kenna was how closely its creative and technical teams work together. The company does more than build websites or marketing campaigns. It develops customized platforms, internal systems, data solutions, and digital experiences based on each client's needs.

One thing that stood out to me was Kenna's people-first environment. The company places a strong emphasis on Customer First Thinking, and I saw that same mindset reflected in the way co-ops and full-time employees are supported.

Location and Work Environment

Kenna's office is located at 90 Burnhamthorpe Road West in downtown Mississauga, just a five minute walk from Square One. The area is lively and convenient, with plenty of restaurants, public transit options, and places nearby to spend more of my paycheque than I probably should.

I followed a hybrid schedule, working in the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays and remotely on Mondays and Fridays. The in-office days made it easier to collaborate, ask questions, and stay connected with the team, while the remote days gave me more uninterrupted time to focus on development work.

Kenna lounge area
The view of the "Marilyn Monroe Towers" from the Kenna lounge
03

Goals

These learning goals shaped how I approached my Summer 2026 co-op term. They helped me focus not only on what I hoped to learn from my time at Kenna, but also on how I could make a meaningful contribution to the team.

Professional & Ethical Behaviour - Teamwork

1. Collaborate Effectively

Improve my ability to collaborate with others in a professional software development environment.

Action Plan

Actively participate in team meetings, sprint discussions, code reviews, and release testing. Ask clear questions, communicate updates, and apply feedback from team members.

Measure of Success

Contribute more confidently in team discussions, complete assigned tasks with fewer revisions, and receive positive feedback from my supervisor and team.

Reflection

Add reflection at the end of the term.

Literacy - Technological Literacy

2. Strengthen Technical Skills

Build and maintain full-stack web applications using modern development tools and workflows.

Action Plan

Complete assigned tasks using tools such as Git, Jira, Jenkins, and CI/CD workflows. Learn from the existing codebase, ask questions, and apply feedback.

Measure of Success

Complete technical tasks more independently, understand the project workflow better, and use the team's development tools with more confidence.

Reflection

Add reflection at the end of the term.

Critical & Creative Thinking - Problem Solving

3. Improve Debugging

Improve my ability to solve technical problems by debugging issues, understanding root causes, and choosing practical solutions.

Action Plan

Investigate bugs by reviewing error messages, logs, and expected behaviour. Test solutions properly, ask for guidance when needed, and reflect on each issue.

Measure of Success

Troubleshoot issues more efficiently, explain my solutions clearly, and resolve assigned bugs or feature problems with less support over time.

Reflection

Add reflection at the end of the term.

Professional & Ethical Behaviour - Time Management

4. Stay Organized

Improve how I manage my time and organize my tasks while working on multiple priorities during the co-op term.

Action Plan

Track assigned tasks, deadlines, and priorities using Jira and personal notes. Break larger tasks into smaller steps and plan work to meet expectations on time.

Measure of Success

Consistently meet deadlines, stay organized during busy times, and clearly explain the status of my work to my supervisor and team.

Reflection

Add reflection at the end of the term.

Communicating - Written Communication

5. Write Clearly

Improve the clarity of my written communication when documenting work, writing updates, and explaining technical changes.

Action Plan

Write clear Jira updates, commit messages, pull request notes, and documentation. Keep writing concise, organized, and easy for team members to understand.

Measure of Success

Make updates and documentation clear enough for others to follow, with fewer follow-up questions about the purpose and impact of my work.

Reflection

Add reflection at the end of the term.

04 Kenna logo

Job Description

Job Summary

Web Application Developer Co-op

Hybrid

"At Kenna, one of our core philosophies is Customer First Thinking. It's how we help our clients' turn customers into their biggest fans. That philosophy is echoed in the way we treat our employees. By putting people first, we attract some of the marketing industry's brightest minds, and we're proud of our sterling track record of hanging onto them. Join Kenna as a co-op student, and not only will you help build our clients' businesses - you'll grow your own potential. Whether your true calling is in Client Service, Creative, Data Solutions, Digital Design, Insights & Strategy, Finance, Application Development, IT Services or Social Media, you'll find it all under one roof at Kenna. So if you're looking to make a meaningful impact on one of these diverse teams, this could be a great opportunity for you. And us."

Description

Kenna is looking for brilliant, talented, and passionate individuals to join our team of over 25 experienced professional web developers. We want to enable you to discover your passion for web development in a new and exciting environment designed to foster creativity and innovation.

Career Development

Kenna is devoted to helping students succeed in their future career. We will help you learn the concepts, technologies, frameworks, and tools for a career in web development by providing hands-on training and professional development tailored to students' needs and capabilities. Work with industry veterans and other students to build professional relationships, contacts and friendships for your future career. Don't believe us? Ask all the developers we've hired that were former co-op students.

Responsibilities

  • Develop new and innovative web solutions that adhere to industry standards and best practices.
  • Utilize analytical and problem-solving skills to overcome challenges and provide unique solutions.
  • Provide meaningful suggestions, feedback, and insights to support business goals.
  • Update, enhance and maintain existing web solutions.

Required Skills

  • Strong programming background including relevant experience or course work.
  • Strong understanding of fundamental programming principles (object-oriented programming, data structures, algorithms).
  • Proficiency in fundamental web languages (HTML, JavaScript, CSS).

Non-essential Skills

  • NodeJS, React, JQuery, KendoUI, and Materialize
  • SQL, MySQL
  • Web Services/APIs(RESTful/SOAP), XML, JSON, AJAX
  • AWS (CloudFormation, Stacker, Runway)
  • Visual Basic, VBA, Domino, Lotus Notes
  • JavaScript concepts (ES6, prototyping, SPAs, concurrency frameworks)
  • CSS concepts (CSS Grids, flex box, transitions, keyframes, animations, pseudo elements, media queries)
  • Responsive design
  • Version control (Git, GitHub, Bit Bucket)
  • Continuous Integration Tools (Jenkins)

About You

  • Passionate about web development
  • Self-motivated
  • Strong desire to learn new skills and apply them in real world settings
  • Strong problem solving and decision-making skills
  • Ability to work both as part of a team and independently
  • Excellent written & verbal communication skills
  • Ability to engage and share new ideas with the team

Benefits

  • Fun, positive and professional environment to learn and develop
  • Team building events, social events, company events, and virtual events
  • Hybrid working model with the flexibility of working two days remotely (Mondays and Fridays)
MonRemote TueOffice WedOffice ThuOffice FriRemote
05

Conclusions

In Summer 2026, I was given an amazing opportunity to begin my career at a company I truly wanted to be part of. After speaking with former co-op students and current Kenna employees, I had a strong feeling that Kenna would be the right place for me, and looking back on the past four months, I am grateful that I trusted that feeling.

Throughout the term, I grew not only as a developer, but also as a person. I strengthened my technical skills, became more confident in my work, and developed a stronger mindset when facing challenges. Working with people outside the development team, including the accounts, data, and QA teams, also improved my communication skills and helped me understand how software is built and supported in a real industry environment.

One of the best parts of the experience was meeting more than 20 other co-op students, many of whom were fellow Gryphons. I built friendships that I hope will continue through school and beyond this work term. It was also extremely rewarding to see my work used by more than 20,000 users across Canada and the United States. Knowing that something I contributed to had a real impact made me even more excited to continue pursuing a career in software development.

Most importantly, this work term gave me the confidence to truly see myself as a developer. I am leaving Kenna with stronger skills, better work habits, meaningful connections, a deeper appreciation for the people and teamwork behind great software, and, of course, the title of being a Kennadian!

06

Acknowledgements

I would like to start by thanking Nicholas Paul for taking the time to hear me out and interview me for this position at Kenna. Without his support, I would not have had the opportunity to become a Kennadian.

I would also like to thank Zeal Vyas from HR, who supported me throughout the entire process, from scheduling my interview and helping with onboarding to answering my many questions and directing me to the right people. I also want to congratulate Zeal on her new baby and wish her all the best during her maternity leave.

A special thank you to my supervisor, Chandra Kottam, Senior Application Developer, for trusting me with challenging tasks and giving me the space to make mistakes, learn from them, and improve. I am also grateful to our team lead, Manish Lakhotia, for always including me in team discussions and asking for my input, even though I was only a co-op student.

Thank you to the Social Committee for organizing so many great events, especially Thirsty Thursdays. Their planning helped me build closer relationships with my coworkers and gave everyone a reason to step away from their screens for a while.

I would also like to thank Sara Beshr, Finance Assistant, for always reminding us to submit our timesheets. Without her reminders, there is a very good chance at least one of my paycheques would have arrived late.

A very special thank you goes to my fellow co-op students for making Kenna feel fun, welcoming, and inclusive. They made coming into the office something I genuinely looked forward to. I also have them to thank for teaching me how to play President, which means I am now rarely the Bum.

I would also like to thank Werner Anders, Director of Application Development, for being approachable, keeping us informed about what was happening within the company, and making leadership feel accessible.

Finally, thank you to everyone else who supported me during my term. I truly enjoyed my time at Kenna, and I hope to cross paths with my fellow Kennadians again in the future.