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Meet Diya: Our First Micro Placement Student
Diya, a recent University of Calgary engineering graduate, spent her micro-placement setting up Rise's web analytics from scratch. Here's what she learned along the way.
This term, Rise Calgary had the chance to host Diya Shah, a Mechanical Engineering student from the University of Calgary, for a micro-placement focused on our web analytics. Over four weeks, Diya helped us set up the tools we use to understand how people find and use our website. It's work that helps us reach more of the people we serve.
We sat down with her to talk about the experience. If you're a U of C student or recent graduate thinking about a placement like this, her experience might give you a sense of what to expect.
A first placement, and a bit of a leap
This was Diya's first micro-placement. Coming from an engineering background, the appeal was the chance to put analytical skills to work on something real.
"Coming from a Mechanical Engineering background, I was eager to explore and apply my analytical and critical thinking skills. Rise Calgary's web analytics placement gave me a meaningful way to leverage data systems to help a local organization maximize its reach and impact."
Hesitant going in
Like a lot of students starting something new, Diya wasn't sure how the technical side would go.
"I was initially hesitant about how smoothly I could adapt to web analytics platforms like Google Analytics 4 and Tag Manager. However, once I dove in, I realized that my core engineering approach, breaking down a complex system into functional inputs, outputs, and logical flows, was the key. Debugging event triggers and configuring custom tags felt completely natural once I mapped out the user journeys."
The tools themselves were new, and that turned out to be fine.
"Tools like GA4 and Google Tag Manager were largely new to me. I picked up the specifics hands-on during the placement, studying the documentation, troubleshooting tag triggers, and testing setup configurations until every event fired accurately."
What Diya built
The placement moved quickly from checking that basic tags were working to setting up the whole measurement foundation Rise now runs on.
"I progressed from verifying basic Google Tag Manager tags to designing a custom measurement plan and building custom event triggers for donation clicks, volunteer sign-ups, and other submission forms, followed by user path exploration models and reporting workflows in Google Analytics 4. Beyond the technical execution, I sharpened my communication skills by translating complex tracking frameworks into clear, non-technical handover guides and reporting templates for Rise staff."
That last part matters to us. Diya didn't just set things up and leave. The work came with plain-language guides so our team can keep using it long after the placement ends.
Advice for the next student
We asked what her would say to a U of C student who's on the fence about applying.
"Definitely go for it! Micro-placements give you the freedom to work on your skills, solve real-world challenges, and gain confidence. Working with the team at Rise Calgary was a fantastic experience. You get to work on impactful projects, build your network, and see the value of your work in the community."
Thinking about a micro-placement with us?
Rise participates in the University of Calgary’s micro-placement program through the Centre for Career & Personal Development. If you’re a UCalgary student interested in getting hands-on experience and learning more about the work we do, keep an eye on Elevate for new micro-placement opportunities with Rise.
You don’t need to have it all figured out before you start. As Diya found, being curious and willing to dig in can go a long way.
