My Summer 2025 with YNCU
Working at YNCU has been nothing short of incredible. This report covers my 4-month co-op term as a Full Stack Developer, where I got to make real contributions while learning under great leadership and alongside incredible teammates.
Introduction
Before YNCU, I loved programming but had no real understanding of how software impacts people's daily lives. This co-op term completely changed how I think about technology and my career. Working alongside loan officers and seeing how our systems eliminated thousands of hours of manual work—that's when it clicked for me. We weren't just writing code; we were making people's jobs easier and their experiences better.
About the Employer
Organization Overview
- • Member-owned financial cooperative serving Ontario communities
- • Focus on innovative digital banking solutions and member experience
- • Commitment to technology-driven operational efficiency
Computing Science Relevance
YNCU's tech environment is exactly what you'd expect from a modern financial institution - full-stack development, connecting different systems together, working with databases, and building secure applications. It's the perfect place to use what you learn in computer science classes on real problems that affect thousands of people.
Learning Goals & Outcomes
Help Team Members Become More Involved
Lead projects/features each sprint, pair for code reviews, and offer support after stand-ups
"Taking the lead on features felt uncomfortable at first, but after pairing with the team to review and refactor code, I realized I enjoy explaining my decisions and design choices. Next time, I'll try to sketch an outline of the feature in advance so I'm even more prepared."
Be More Confident Explaining Technical Ideas
Practice explaining projects out loud and give tech talks to team developers
"Recording my demo was ego-crushing at first; however, hearing my own voice helped a lot. I noticed I say 'um' a lot when I'm not sure of the next step. After practicing a few times, I could explain our code structure without pausing."
Tackle Tricky Bugs with Multiple Solutions
List three possible causes before coding and practice with LeetCode problems
"I tried brainstorming three solutions before coding a recent pagination bug. It felt slower at first, but I avoided a dead-end fix I would've wasted time on. Solving LeetCode problems helped me structure my thoughts. Next, I want to challenge myself with dynamic programming."
Improve Docker & Azure Skills
Pair with DevOps team for deployments and document processes in README
"Pushing to Azure took a couple of tries, but once I got it right, I was able to pull the image and test without installing any Node dependencies. Writing the README cemented my understanding. Next, I want to optimize Docker images further."
Build Stronger Collaboration Habits
Leave constructive code review comments, practice active listening, and offer help to teammates
"Leaving thoughtful comments in code reviews forced me to slow down and really read the code, not just skim. Next, I want to focus on recognizing when I should step back and let someone else lead, not just jump in to 'help' right away."
Work Experience
During my co-op term at YNCU, I worked on multiple critical projects that saved the credit union over half a million dollars while making banking services more accessible for thousands of members, and significantly improving the work flows of hundreds of employees.
What I Built
Commercial Loan Origination System (CLOS)
Led our Commercial Loan Origination System (CLOS): Drove design, development, data modelling, DevOps, security, and UAT; Integrated Fiserv DNA for real-time banking data — Saved $500,000 at launch and $80,000 annually.
Account Opening System & ID Verification
Partnered with our CRM team to ideate & deploy our Account Opening System (AOS) with Salesforce, enabling 1,000+ new online-originated memberships. Designed, developed, and deployed our ID verification system in less than 2 months with Salesforce — processing 20,000+ IDs and eliminating 10,000+ hours of manual, in-branch verifications.
YNCU Tools Platform Refactoring
Led the refactoring and redesign of the entire YNCU Tools platform (20,000+ LOC), leveraging React Hook Form, Zod, TanStack, etc. — 10x performance, 5x codebase reduction, and dozens of accessibility improvements.
Multiple Project Leadership
Led three key projects: Mortgage Campaign generating 100+ leads and $30,000+ revenue; Applicant Dashboard processing 1,000+ applications;and Workspace Dashboard delivering a combined $22,000 annual cost savings.
Go Application Development
Led development of smaller applications with Go, reducing resource usage and improving performance.
Reflections & Conclusions
Working at a credit union taught me that banking software needs to be rock solid. When you're handling people's money and personal information, there's no room for mistakes. I learned how to build systems that are secure and can handle thousands of users without breaking.
The biggest thing I learned was how to take on big, messy problems and break them down. Like when I had to fix that 20,000-line codebase - it seemed impossible at first, but I just tackled it piece by piece. Now I'm comfortable jumping into any project, no matter how complicated it looks.
This job completely changed how I think about my computer science classes. When we learned about algorithms and databases in school, it felt pretty abstract. Now when I'm optimizing a slow query or designing a new system, I actually understand why those concepts matter.
Working in banking tech got me really interested in fintech and how technology is changing how people manage their money. Building systems that handle thousands of loan applications and process sensitive financial data has prepared me for the kind of complex, high-stakes projects I want to work on after graduation.
Acknowledgments
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the entire YNCU technology team for their mentorship, collaboration, and trust in my abilities. The opportunity to progress from intern to full-time developer while taking on increasingly complex projects has been instrumental in my professional development.
Special thanks to my supervisors and everyone we teamed up with for their patience and support with each project. I'm also grateful to the University of Guelph Co-op program for facilitating this exceptional opportunity that has shaped both my technical skills and professional trajectory.
Thank you Matt, Jeremy, Alex, and Rabo for your support and guidance throughout this co-op term.