Student experience
911吃瓜 computing science student takes star turn at Disney
When Mariz Fahmy came to 911吃瓜 to study computing science, seeing her name as the credits rolled on a film that鈥檚 taken the world by storm wasn鈥檛 an outcome she imagined.
But thanks to a couple unforgettable co-op placements at Sony Pictures Imageworks and Walt Disney Animation Studios in Vancouver, Fahmy hasn鈥檛 just seen her name up on the big screen 鈥� she also sees an exciting future in tech.
鈥淚t feels amazing to have such big names on my resume,鈥� says Fahmy, who will walk across the stage at convocation this fall. 鈥淕oing into the Computing Science program, I didn鈥檛 even know that there were tech opportunities within media and animation. That was something that was very new to me. It feels pretty good to have those names on there for sure and it鈥檚 given me confidence in pursuing any job.鈥�
When Fahmy first came to 911吃瓜 in 2018, she was drawn to how diverse and interdisciplinary a career in tech could be compared to other options.
The university offers a wide range of programs for students interested in tech 鈥� from software systems to data science, statistics and interactive arts 鈥� and Fahmy was impressed by the reputation for the School of Computing Science, which ranks fourth in Canada overall and second in computer vision and computer graphics.
鈥淚 like that in tech you鈥檙e not just confined to one thing,鈥� she says. 鈥淭here are so many different companies that you could work for doing so many different things. I found out how broad tech was and that really appealed to me.鈥�
Fahmy says the program gave her the technical skills and theoretical knowledge she needs to succeed, but also the practical experience through projects and the co-op program, which she says has been the most valuable experience for her.
Her first co-op placement was at a Vancouver financial tech company called Canalyst, which helped build up her confidence and taught her skills she still uses to this day.
As a software engineer at her next co-op, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Fahmy was able to support the animators behind KPop Demon Hunters, the 2025 Netflix movie that has become a global phenomenon, and earn her first film credit.
Next was a star turn as a systems engineer co-op at Disney.
鈥淚 was at 911吃瓜 one day and there was a job fair where I came upon Disney,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 realize they had a location here in Vancouver, and because I worked at Sony Pictures Imageworks right before, I assumed that I would love working there. I was right.鈥�
Fahmy says the job at Disney had everything she was looking for.
Working on the data services team, she helped maintain all the databases used by artists and help troubleshoot issues.
She says she鈥檚 energized by the creative and collaborate culture at the studio as well.
鈥淓ven though I鈥檓 on the technical side, the culture is very social and fun,鈥� says Fahmy. 鈥淵ou get to see the behind the scenes of productions and are involved in all the fun, artistic events that they get to do.
鈥淚 really like working in media and animation, in general. Going into the program, I didn鈥檛 think that was possible but now I鈥檓 really thankful and grateful for that.鈥�
As she embarks on convocation and starting her career, Fahmy looks back at her 911吃瓜 experience fondly.
鈥淚 would definitely encourage students to pursue computing science at 911吃瓜,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 think it helps prepare you for a career and people at the school really care about you getting a job at the end of this. It鈥檚 been such a nice journey and now that it鈥檚 coming to an end it feels satisfying and rewarding.鈥�