WIMTACH Student Profile: Mark Jeff Alfeche

Mark Jeff Alfeche is another example of a student joining WIMTACH and excelling in the projects they take part in. Mark is a Centennial College student in the School of Engineering Technology and Applied Sciences. He studied in the Electronics Engineering Technician program and worked with WIMTACH for five months. When he’s not hard at engineering work, Mark enjoys playing the guitar and ukulele. When asked about how he came to work with WIMTACH, he stated he found a job opening on the Hire Centennial job portal. He went on to work on two projects in his time at WIMTACH; a UV disinfecting device and a ventilator project.

Being a part of such intricate projects like these can be a significant learning experience for some, as the skills gained can be become very useful. Mark shares, “I have learned a lot about microcontrollers and programming. And I even got some exposure to mobile development by integrating the firmware through coordination with the mobile app developers.” With the experience gained from learning microcontrollers, he became more familiar with the protocols used by firmware.

The COVID-19 pandemic also challenged Mark, who now had to adjust to working from home. “It is hard at first because I feel like I am on my own and don’t know where to start for my tasks. After a while, with self-motivation and finding helpful resources from the internet, I was able to get my tasks going. I was also able to balance my daily activities which include working, studying and a little outdoor exercise like walking/jogging.” Mark goes on to share some advice for any future students coming to work with WIMTACH. “Enjoy [your] chosen academic program and be passionate about learning the skills involved in that program.”

Mark spoke about the uncertainties in the world when asked where he sees himself in five years. He points out how hard it is to plan anything as of right now, but he hopes to one day bring the technologies he learned about in Canada to communities in his native country, the Philippines.

For more stories, please visit: https://wimtach.centennialcollege.ca/news/