During his 12 month software engineering co op with Ontario Public Service, Computer Science student Aryan Kansagara was excited to help build and improve test automation to improve quality assurance processes for applications used by Ontario residents. 

Working for government in a software engineering role was an exciting moment for Aryan, whose journey into computer science began in high school, when he taught himself to code. To help accelerate his skills at that time, Aryan enrolled in global programming competitions where he spent time racing against the clock. Solving complex problems under pressure sparked a fascination with programming that eventually grew into a post secondary goal: his desire to study at York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering in Toronto, Canada. 

Once he made the transition to York from his home city of Rajkot, India, Aryan understood the importance of building practical skills and getting a foot in the door. He decided to apply for co-op in his third year of studies. 

He earned a 12-month Software Engineering co-op with the Ontario Public Service, where he developed and maintained over 100 automated UI tests, reducing manual regression testing effort by around 30% and expanding automated coverage across key user workflows. He also worked on improving how the system detected and diagnosed failures. His supervisor noted he "exceeded expectations" and brought "exceptional enthusiasm and work ethic" to the role.

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"Co-op transformed how I understand software engineering. Before, I saw code as the end goal. Now, I understand that code is just the means. The real goal is impact."

From there, he was trusted with developing features for two major public-facing web applications used across Ontario. He wrote clean, accessible, maintainable code, worked closely with senior developers, and verified AODA compliance through over 200 manual test cycles.

“Working on applications used by millions of Ontarians taught me that every line of code carries responsibility,” he says. “I learned to write tests that don't just pass, but that actually catch regressions.”

Outside of work, Aryan stays involved in York's tech community. As President of the AI & Data Society, he handles strategic planning, runs workshops, mentors new executives, and advocates for student resources. As Technical Lead for YU Data Science, he led development of a ReactJS chatbot to help with student engagement. He also serves as an IT Executive for ElleHacks, Canada's largest hackathon for women and gender diverse students.

Aryan’s journey reflects not only strong engineering ability, but a deep commitment to community impact and student success.

“Co-op transformed how I understand software engineering,” he says. “Before, I saw code as the end goal. Now, I understand that code is just the means. The real goal is impact.”