For two Northeastern juniors, a "Made in China" sticker conjures up fond memories of co-op, where they experienced the expected and the unexpected—like spearheading a recycling program—at a plastics and electronics factory in Fenggang, China.

Biomedical physics major Mark Martino and physics major Brendan Tanguay reported directly to the factory president, who encouraged them to take on projects that matched their expertise and interests. They repaired and maintained a critical piece of manufacturing equipment, developed an improved production-tracking system to increase efficiency, and conducted a cost analysis that the president used—unedited and uncut—to land a crucial business deal. They also helped teach company-sponsored English classes, led factory tours for English-speaking clients and suppliers, and learned some Mandarin.

Their proudest accomplishment: the recycling program. "We looked around the factory and asked ourselves, do they recycle here? There was a lot of waste," says Martino. The two went about setting up systems to recycle paper, bottles, and cans; gathering data to reduce the factory's carbon footprint; and planting roof gardens with fruits and vegetables for the canteen.

As the first co-op students in this factory, Martino and Tanguay hope future students will pick up where they left off. "We saw the company really grow over six months," says Tanguay. "It was an intense but incredible work experience." And it wasn't all work. The two ate lunch, shot hoops, and watched YouTube videos with coworkers during breaks, and managed a weeklong tour of Northern China, enjoying home-cooked meals at a coworker's home and surprising rural villagers who had never seen a foreigner.

As Martino says, "The international experience is huge. I grew a lot and gained so much perspective on how I can live humbly and work hard. That motivates me because it shows that I can do it."

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