With the help of The Canada-Japan Co-op Program, Ioana spent ten months in Japan as a 3D Animation Intern at Fukui Byora. Fukui Byora is a well-known manufacturing organization that creates many different metal parts. Some of the most significant achievements that she completed during her work term include: creating a fully rigged human character from scratch and utilizing particle systems to create various effects for each shot she took. Ultimately, Ioana was able to create a total of seven unique safety videos that were eventually distributed to factory workers.

Ioana’s solo visit to Hiroshima was a distinct highlight of her time in Japan as it increased her confidence in herself which had benefits throughout her work experience. She found herself communicating with her coworkers more and breaking out of her comfort zone. After graduating from Simon Fraser University, Ioana took on the impressive role of a Junior Animator at ICON Creative Studio, Ioana credits The Canada-Japan Co-op Program with guiding her to hone in on her area of focus and skillset which led Ioana to reach her current career goals.