Engineering, AI, and Business: Students Making an Impact at Tulmar
Three students. Three different fields. One employer.
Tulmar Safety Systems creates survivability and safety solutions for the defence, aviation, and civil security industries. It’s here that Carleton University co-op students are finding opportunities to grow their skills in areas ranging from aerospace engineering and AI automation to marketing and business development. Their experiences highlight how co-op can open doors to meaningful work, professional growth, and new perspectives on future career possibilities in an environment that encourages learning and exploration.
Name: Alex Hung
Program: Third year Aerospace Engineering, Stream A
Role: Engineering Intern
What you do: Design and development of safety products from RFP (Request for Proposal) to production
Work terms: Four work terms, summer 2026 to fall 2027
How did your co-op experience at Tulmar help you better understand your future career path or goals?
Tulmar serves as a vital introduction to the aerospace industry. Working on multiple different projects with such talented team members has given me a better understanding of the engineering process as a whole and helped me identify areas of the industry that I would like to pursue. Tulmar has exposed me to potential career paths that I was previously unaware of, allowing me to make informed career decisions.
How have you applied what you’ve learned in your program to your work at Tulmar?
Working hands on with the engineering process provided vital context to topics learned in the lecture hall. The design courses in the engineering program at Carleton prepared me well for the real deal. Processes that seemed unnecessary at the time suddenly become vital in the workplace.
What would you tell other students who are starting their co-op journeys?
I would tell any co-op student to try as much as possible. The more projects you work on, things you do, events you attend, the better your understanding of the industry will become. I’ve often heard the question “what do engineers actually do,” and I’ve come to find that the answer can vary drastically across the industry. You may like aerospace engineering, but with how much the work can vary, you might love one aspect and hate another. It is vital to experience this firsthand so you can steer your career in the right direction.
Name: Brandon Wu
Program: Fourth year Computer Science AI & ML Stream
Role: AI & Automation Developer
What you do: Research different software and applications that may benefit Tulmar by streamlining manual processes
Work terms: One work term, summer 2026 (continuing on as AI & Automation Developer)
How did your co-op experience at Tulmar help you better understand your future career path or goals?
My co-op experience at Tulmar helped me realize that I want a career where I can use technology to solve real workplace problems. I enjoyed building applications, working with databases, and creating AI and automation tools that could make employees’ work easier. Seeing my projects used in a real company made the work feel meaningful and showed me that I am especially interested in software development, automation, and AI.
What’s a project or task you’ve worked on that you’re particularly proud of and why?
One project I am particularly proud of was the first Copilot agent I created for employee searches. The agent allowed users to ask questions in plain language, such as finding an employee by name, hire date, manager, or status. It then used Power Automate to search the company database and return the correct results. I am proud of this project because it introduced me to how many companies were able to develop their own AI agents to deliver internal solutions and paved the way for potential AI projects in the future (such as developing local LLMs that can run remotely and offline with more security, for example).
What would you tell other students who are starting their co-op journeys?
I would tell other students to always stay open-minded, ask questions, and take every opportunity to learn. At the beginning, a lot of tasks may seem unfamiliar and hard to approach, but asking questions and doing research makes the path clearer, and making mistakes is a natural part of the process everyone will encounter; it’s the reason we communicate so that we are always improving. Co-op is a great chance to learn this hands-on, and more importantly, to make new connections and learn new things that will make the experience much more rewarding.
Name: Alex Pereira
Program: Fourth yearBachelor of Commerce, Concentration in Marketing and Business Analytics
Role: Business Development Intern
What you do: Conduct market research, develop partner and brand communications through a company newsletter, and analyze and visualize data to support strategic decision-making
Work terms: Two work terms, summer 2025 and summer 2026
How did your co-op experience at Tulmar help you better understand your future career path or goals?
Tulmar helped me better understand the type of work I want to pursue by allowing me to work on a variety of projects where I developed a strong interest in the analytic side of marketing and business. The people around me played an important role in my growth by helping me learn how to carry myself professionally, take ownership of my work, and turn ideas into valuable contributions. Their guidance also gave me greater confidence, and a clearer understanding of the skills and mindset needed to succeed in my future career.
How have you applied what you’ve learned in your program to your work at Tulmar?
The Bachelor of Commerce program gave me a broad understanding of how businesses operate and how different functions contribute to organizational goals. Through my concentrations in marketing and business analytics, I developed a unique combination of skills that allowed me to bring new ideas, tools, and perspectives to workplace projects while applying what I learned in the classroom to approach new challenges.
What would you tell other students who are starting their co-op journeys?
I would encourage other students to be curious, take initiative, and share their ideas with confidence. A co-op experience is an opportunity to learn, so ask questions, stay open to feedback, and look for meaningful ways to get involved. The more engaged you are, the more you will gain from the experience and the clearer your future goals may become.