HBA Sustainability Certificate
Empowering the next generation of sustainable leaders
HBA Sustainability Certificate
Empowering the next generation of sustainable leaders
I always thought I wanted to go into marketing. It seemed like the most fitting sector of business because of the lack of boundaries and push towards creativity. But volunteering with Students Offering Support, an organization that promotes the sustainability of educational services, showed me that non-profit work knows no bounds in the business world. Sustainable development pushes the boundaries of creativity and perfectly combine my business mindset with my passion for working with people to make noticeable change.
Additional Information
Personal Definition of Sustainability
Sustainability involves finding long-term solutions to social issues. It centres on flexibility, in that these long-term solutions must be reactive in adapting to changes in environmental surroundings. At the core of sustainability education are the tools necessary to adapt solutions: the knowledge to adequately react to changes in a way that makes you poised to continue altering your strategy in the future. Because the business world is ever changing, sustainability is an aspect of business that enables constant learning.
Sustainability-in-Action
The most applicable sustainability project that I've been involved in is with Students Offering Support. SOS provides a long-term, sustainable solution to the issue of the availability of educational services. The organization facilitates student-run review sessions at major Canadian universities, and uses the proceeds to fund international outreach trips to build schools and teach English in remote areas. This past summer I travelled to Namaldi, Costa Rica and helped rebuild an elementary and secondary school that were washed away by a flood. I hope to continue my involvement in global development by participating in two trips this summer: to Haiti and Kenya.
On a smaller scale I have engaged in sustainability initiatives through Bundle Up Toronto, a not-for-profit which I developed when I was 15. Bundle Up Toronto aims to help the homeless population of downtown Toronto by generating monetary, clothing, and food donations throughout the holiday season. However, this small business does not offer a sustainable solution to homelessness. I hope that my education at Ivey can help me alter Bundle Up Toronto to provide long-term aid.
