I was brought up in a household where everyone around me was in healthcare. From a young age I believed I would be a front-line healthcare worker, mostly because that was all I knew. This led me to pursuing the Health Sciences degree at Western. Quickly, I noticed that although I enjoyed healthcare, it was not what I wanted to pursue as a career. This is when my switch to Ivey occurred. I learned the importance of all aspects of running a both profitable and not for profit business, skills I believe will enhance my career in the future.

What is your personal definition of sustainability?

Sustainability is the act of creating change for a better world. To me, sustainability is surrounded by social impact and what we as society want to see change within the world. To some that may mean and environmental impact while for others this may mean working towards health equity. A sustainable society is one where individuals have the ability to help one another and grow without destroying our surroundings.

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

When first thinking about my professional career, I knew I did not want the typical nine to five. However, as I have been completing internships over the years, I’ve realized that sustainability is more than just the environment, a common misconception that is amongst our generation. I understand that I can make a change by creating sustainable financial plans or working on social impact projects. My professional aspirations align with social responsibility and sustainability. In my career, I would like to work at a not-for-profit which provides health access to those in need. In addition to my professional career, I would like to incorporate more sustainable practices in personal life such as environmental conscious purchases.

What sustainability projects have you been engaged in?

Throughout my life, I have been a part of Scouts Canada. As a sustainable organization, they strive on creating sustainable leaders in the future. This has given me the opportunity to learn from environmental and social experts as well as teach sustainable practices to small groups of individuals. In addition to Scouts, I have worked in not-for-profits for two out of my three internships where I learned the importance of developing a society that is focused on social change. At the Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities, I worked with low income individuals and provided a variety of resources that they could access within the city. At the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, I worked with a team to create awareness events and accessibility training to help develop the community surrounding visually impaired individuals. Within school, I am currently apart of the myHBA program which works towards creating a voice for mental health awareness. I help create events explaining mental health issues and talking to individuals who need a safe place to speak.