This qualitative study examined how undergraduate engineering students studying in the U.S. experienced failures during their cooperative education (co-op) and how they recovered from them. Six students attending a private research university in the Northeast participated in two semi-structured interviews via Zoom. The narrative inquiry approach was used to analyze the data. Four superordinate themes emerged from the data: (1) students' view of failure evolved from childhood to post-co-op experience, (2) learning from failures during co-op, (3) self-advocacy during the recovery process, (4) family, friends, and colleagues as students' main resources during co-op. Resilience was the theoretical framework in this study. The findings align with literature about the standard grading system in the U.S., learning from failures, self-advocacy, resources that helped students develop resilience, and the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on students' co-op experiences. The findings and literature suggest opportunities for co-op faculty and advisors to teach students about failure and resiliency. There are also opportunities for future research involving students, co-op supervisors, and co-op advisors. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]