Dreams Do Come True

For Computer Science graduate, Doug Falk, working as a programmer for the Mayo Clinic is a dream come true.

Growing up in Carmen MB, Doug wasn’t sure whether he wanted to become a physical education teacher, like his father, or work as a programmer, like his brother.  After visits with his brother, a programmer for the Mayo Clinic, Doug decided in high school, not only that he wanted to be a programmer, but that he, too, wanted to work at the Mayo Clinic.

His journey took him to the Computer Science Co-op Program at the University of Manitoba, and he credits his solid education and his Co-op experience in helping him achieve his goal.

“With each Co-op work term,” says Doug, “I became more satisfied with my life choice.” 

In his first Co-op work term, he learned what it was like working in a business environment, how a company functions and how to form working relationships with the different people at the company. 

For his second Co-op work term, Doug was employed by a small software development company that was “very well run.”  The whole company model was different and focused on ways to enhance employee interaction.  It didn’t take long for Doug to see the results. 

“I was comfortable around the people who I worked with,” he explains.  “I was given opportunities to have input in decisions, and was given more responsibility.  I still keep in touch with the friends I made in the company.”

Doug believes having a year of Co-op work experience was vital to him getting his job.  “I had better examples of real-life work experiences to share, and I had confidence in my interviews.” He explains.

During his Co-op experience, he had had over 30 job interviews; interviews where he had a chance to practice his skills and gain confidence.  He had also benefitted from the feedback employers gave him – a built-in component of the Co-op program.

“I took their advice to heart, and I made the effort to make the changes they suggested.  It’s not an easy thing to do, but in the end, it makes a difference,” says Doug.

Still, getting a job at the Mayo Clinic wasn’t easy.  “I checked the on-line jobs every day, and I sent in applications,” he said.

Finally, he got a telephone interview, and although he didn’t get the job, the manager who interviewed him, recommended him to a colleague at the Clinic. 

He was also encouraged by the Human Resources Manager who noticed that Doug had been applying for computer-related jobs.  She gave him a call, and encouraged him to keep trying.  “It really gave me hope that a job at the Clinic might be a possibility,” he explains.

The telephone interview that finally landed him the job was with the five-member panel.  It was “intense,” and there were a lot of questions, but Doug felt good about interview.  One week later he received a job offer, and he was both elated and scared.  It had finally happened; he was moving to Rochester!

“The Mayo Clinic is an amazing place, and it’s the kind of work where you can help patients and have a positive impact on patients’ lives,” says Doug.

Posted in:  Science

Featured Graduate — Hector Vergara

He’s head of the umbrella agency governing soccer in Manitoba, not to mention one of the most prolific – and well-respected – referees in Canada.

So it’s no surprise that Héctor Vergara falls back on a sports metaphor to describe his job.

“It’s the same as a soccer field, and I’m like the coach of the team,” says Vergara, a graduate of the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, now serving as executive director of the Manitoba Soccer Association.

“We’ve got forwards, defenders, midfielders and a goalie, and we’ve got to make sure we’re preventing goals and scoring goals. You can only do that as a team … and I’ve been fortunate to have a good team.”

It’s also no surprise that Vergara’s career path has led him to a post dealing with one of the world’s most cherished pastimes. Born in San Javier, Chili (his family moved to Winnipeg when he was 11), Vergara has had soccer in his blood since he was a little boy.

“Soccer in South America is a religion – it’s literally the only sport that people pay attention to,” he says. “People will spend all their money – even the poor people will save all their money – to go to soccer games. Everybody has a favourite team and a favourite player and everyone follows the game religiously, whether it’s on television or on the radio.”

Thanks largely to their early start, Vergara and his two brothers found they could easily defend themselves against teams of 10 or more classmates on the soccer fields at their school in Winnipeg. Vergara himself continued to play competitively until he was 18, but soon found his favourite position was that of the referee.

While other teens his age worked paper routes or fast food jobs, Vergara quickly made a name for himself as one of the busiest refs in the city.

“I started with the intent of just staying busy and keeping fit and making some money, but then I got bit by the refereeing bug,” he says. “I guess I got bit pretty hard, because I’m still doing it today.”

Shortly after dedicating himself full-time to refereeing, Vergara began officiating at higher and higher levels, working his way from local games to the Canadian Soccer League, to a spot on the international list of assistant referees by the age of 26 (which at the time made him the youngest ref with that distinction).

Over the years, he’s refereed more than 125 international games – among them, matches at the Olympic Games, FIFA World Cups and World Championships, and the Football Confederation (CONCACAF) Gold Cups and Club Championships.

It’s a resume he’s extremely proud of, and it’s certainly helped him raise the profile of the Manitoba Soccer Association – an agency he’s headed up since 2004.

But he credits his education – not his experience as a ref – with helping him land the MSA position, noting his Bachelor of Recreation Studies degree prepared him well for the world of sport administration.

“The best part of the program is the three months when you do your internship … that’s where they teach you what to encounter in the real world,” says Vergara, who spent seven years working for the Pan Am Games organization after graduating, followed by a four-year stint in the corporate sector.

“Sometimes when you go to school, you get a little bit isolated from what the real world is really all about, so that (internship) gives you a reality check as to what you’re getting yourself into.”

As executive director, Vergara oversees the MSA’s many member leagues, clubs and associations, not to mention the countless players, coaches, volunteers – and yes, referees – throughout Manitoba.

Since he was hired, the MSA’s core staff has grown from two or three employees to seven, mirroring soccer’s rise in popularity in the province and the world.

“It’s a simple game,” he explains, when asked about soccer’s ability to transcend cultures. “All you need is a ball, and it doesn’t even need to be a soccer ball. In some countries, it’s a rag, or the kids kick a rock around.

“The best players in the world are players who have developed in the streets of their homelands. It’s so simple – you don’t need to speak a language, or to understand a culture.”

That popularity should come in handy as Vergara and his team continue to focus on projects – like the new $12-million indoor facility at U of M, or the soon-to-be-completed artificial fields at the Winnipeg Soccer Complex – that will allow the sport to grow even more in coming years.

Also sure to come in handy? Vergara’s continued role as a referee – a self-described “hobby” that also happens to pay off handsomely in the context of his day job.

“I’ve learned a lot while travelling that I can implement through our staff in this association,” he says. “If you’re involved in a sport … you get a better understanding of the game because of your experiences. You’re able to see other organizations, in other countries, and how they compare to yours. We try our best to implement as much of that learning as possible.”

For more information about the Manitoba Soccer Association, check www.manitobasoccer.ca

Posted in:  Kinesiology and Recreation Management