Growing up, I always wanted to create impact - from helping to organize fundraisers in elementary school to starting my own youth council in high school that focused on alleviating pressures facing minority youth groups. The council also connected other youth councils in the community and acted as a platform for sharing resources and ideas. Now as a business student, I hope to continue using my knowledge and skills to fight for social injustices and create meaningful impact.

What is your personal definition of sustainability?

I would define sustainability as a society living in harmony with the planet and one another. Sustainability is based on a person’s economic, social and environmental responsibilities, all of which are critical in ensuring societal improvement and evolution. This idea extends beyond just coexisting with one another and the planet but placing responsibility on each other to create a better world. This definition requires everyone to play their part as that is the only way this goal can be met.

What role do you see sustainability playing in your professional career?

I 100% see myself transitioning into the non-profit sector in the future, whether it be working full time in the field, being on the board of directors for a non-profit company, or even starting my own. I am a big advocate of social injustices and inequality and would love to work and help in the space. As someone coming from a humble background, I know how incredibly lucky I am to get the opportunity to receive a prestigious education, but a lot of people in the world are not as fortunate. Working for Textbook for Change helped inspire me on how I could get involved in this space, as they are a business that focuses on donating textbooks to libraries in Africa. Beyond that, I would strive to create immediate change in my own organization early on in my career, as one of the largest factors in deciding what company I work for is their pro-bono opportunities/CSR initiatives.

What sustainability projects have you been engaged in?

I helped start Regional Youth Roundtable in York Region (RYR), organizing initiatives that focused on alleviating pressures facing minority youth groups. One project I led was an event that centered around the LGBTQ community and common misconceptions they face. RYR also connected other youth councils in the area helping to act as a bridge to share resources and ideas to help better the community. We had over 30 councils involved in our annual “Roundtable” as we discussed projects, problems in our community, and plans to solve them.

As I transitioned to Western, I got the opportunity to work for Textbook for Change as a Marketing Intern. I helped with multiple marketing campaigns which eventually lead to an increase in the number of donated textbooks from the previous year.

In Ivey, I did pro-bono consulting for Jack.org in which we helped the company with its recruitment strategy. I helped lead a workshop and created the final deliverables. This consisted of website frameworks for their recruitment page which was later implemented by their recruitment team.