I am driven by creativity, culture, and community. Having done my first two years in Political Science at Huron University, I transitioned into business to work with and influence large organizations in creating a tangible socio-environmental impact.  

I started my own cultural association at Huron which is now the largest club on campus and worked with the City of London for Community Engagement, and these experiences make me believe that a huge piece of sustainability is to create and maintain social awareness about complex global issues and agendas like the UNSDGs. I want to these via a career marketing. 

What is your personal definition of sustainability?

My personal definition of sustainability is ‘socially and environmentally aware decision making’. We need to inculcate sustainable decisions in our day to day life. Sustainability for me begins when people and organizations shift from simply thought to action. This course has the potential to teach me what sorts of actions these can be.  

A big pillar in my understanding of sustainability is people. If our thought processes are sustainably inclined and we understand the impact of our actions on the planet, then our decision matrix will automatically be sustainable. 

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

I think a sustainable lens will add relevance to my professional career. It is vital that organizations place sustainability at the core of business functions instead of merely a pillar or formal obligation. Whichever job function or industry I work for, I want to be able to ask myself if ‘what I am doing is sustainable’ and if ‘it can be done in a better way.’  

In the long run, I want to pursue a career in purpose marketing and work with companies that sell products with a cause. Often, this cause is related to sustainability. To market the message properly and authentically deliver a sustainable choice to the doorsteps of thousands of consumers, I need to better understand how the often-used buzz word can be broken and demystified and put to work.  

Finally, a marketer is often influenced by the habits and actions of customers. Understanding pre-existing behavioral patterns is one thing, but sustainability will help me incorporate a more futuristic and forward perspective in consumer insights and challenge me to think of news ways to deliver the same message- sustainably.  

What sustainability projects have you been engaged in?

Growing Chefs Ontario

In 2019, I volunteered for Growing Chefs Ontario to join them in their mission of sustainable food literacy and healthy eating practices. The goal was to get kids excited about healthy, wholesome, and more sustainable food. It is quite a shame that 75% of Humanities' food is generated from only 12 plants and 5 animal species- all of which leave a significant footprint on the environment. By attending cooking sessions, community cooking workshops, and picnics with students, my role was to kindle the conversation around good eating habits and the impact of what kids chose to put on their plate can have on the world.