A Heritage of Community Service: Peyton Falls Joins the Water Federation

As a Business Administration Intern with the Water Federation this summer, Peyton Falls is stepping into her first professional office role with a connection to rural Alberta water co-ops that runs deeper than most.

"I'm really looking forward to putting my classroom knowledge to practical use," Peyton says. "But what makes this role special for me is knowing how much water co-ops have meant to my own family over generations."

Peyton grew up with an insider's view of the rural water co-op system. Her great-grandfather founded the local water co-op in Alcomdale, Alberta, and that spirit of community involvement has carried through the generations. It was actually a casual conversation between her grandmother and the Water Federation's Executive Director, Chris Hancock, that set Peyton's summer plans in motion.

"Chris was telling my grandma about the student internship roles open for the summer, and she immediately thought of me," Peyton laughs. "I had just finished my first year of business school and was looking to get some office experience this summer."

Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Accounting at NAIT, Peyton is diving into the operational and financial side of the Water Federation, getting a firsthand look at how a non-profit cooperative runs day to day. She has already begun working with the Sage accounting database to navigate the financial side of operations.

"This is my first time working in an office environment and in a role directly aligned with my career path," Peyton says. "I'm excited to see how all the different administrative and financial systems connect behind the scenes. Being able to see how a business operates from the inside out is the perfect foundation for what comes next."

For Peyton, the summer is about absorbing as much as possible and carrying that knowledge forward into the rest of her degree and her future accounting career.

"I just want to learn as much as I can about anything and everything," she says.