Simol Mehta, a Mohawk College student in the Insurance program, has received the Experiential & Work-Integrated Learning Ontario (EWO) Co-Op Student of the Year Award. This is the 5th consecutive year that a Mohawk College student has received the award.
The EWO Co-op Student of the Year Award recognizes Ontario students who have showcased exceptional job achievement, extracurricular involvement, academic achievement, and have made a strong contribution to co-op education and work-integrated learning.
For Simol, co-op was an important opportunity to connect classroom learning with real-world experience.
"As an international student with seven years of prior experience in the insurance brokerage sector, I wanted to better understand how the Canadian insurance industry operates, including workplace culture, regulatory practices and professional expectations," said Simol. "Through my co-op placement, I was able to apply the concepts I learned in my courses while working with independent adjusters and clients."
Experiential learning in action
During his year-long co-op placement with Sedgwick Canada Inc., Simol worked as an adjuster trainee supporting claims operations. His responsibilities included monitoring incoming claims, verifying information within client systems and preparing detailed claim setups for adjusters based on notices of loss.
Simol quickly stood out among his peers for his attention to detail and initiative. One of his most significant achievements was leading a major automobile policy cancellation and premium refund project involving more than 600 policies. The work required reviewing cancellations, calculating refunds, tracking data and coordinating with multiple departments, including finance, IT and client representatives.
Simol independently learned a new client-side platform and integrated it with the company's internal system to complete the project within three months. The successful outcome strengthened the client relationship and generated additional work for the organization.
He later coordinated a large-scale distribution of non-renewal notifications to approximately 3,000 insured clients, further demonstrating his ability to manage complex projects, maintaining detailed documentation and regulatory compliance.
"Simol's performance consistently exceeded expectations. Because of his strong capabilities, he was entrusted with responsibilities beyond his initial role," said Alex Beric, assistant vice president of dispatch and hub at Sedgwick Canada Inc. "His work on revenue-based client projects directly supported operational efficiency and improved service delivery for key stakeholders. He brought professionalism, adaptability, and a consistently positive attitude to the workplace, all of which made him a valued member of our team."
Throughout his placement, Simol processed between 40 and 50 claims per day, including complex transportation claims involving multiple stakeholders and coverage types. His accuracy helped adjusters focus on the technical aspects of the investigation.
Giving back and planning for the future
Outside the workplace, Simol has also been active in the college community and beyond. He has logged more than 89 volunteer hours supporting student events, job fairs, sustainability initiatives and community programs in Hamilton.
His academic achievements include multiple scholarships and appearing on the Dean's Honour List each semester.
Following the success of his co-op placement, Simol's employer has offered him a part-time role while he completes his final semester, with the option to transition into a full-time adjuster position after graduation.
Looking ahead, Simol plans to continue building his career in insurance adjusting and pursue the Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) designation.
"My goal is to specialize in property and casualty and marine insurance adjusting," he said. "I want to help individuals and businesses recover from losses while supporting resilience within communities."
