I enjoy being involved in school activities and constantly seek out opportunities to contribute to the community. In my first year of university, I served as the Athletic and Wellness Commissioner for Alumni House Residence, promoting physical and mental well-being among my peers. In my second year, I became an Orientation Week Leader, helping new students integrate into the Western community. This coming year, I will act as an Executive Orientation Week Leader and a coordinator of the Cross-Sectional Competitions at Ivey.  

I also love to see the world and have solo travelled to 18 countries since 2018. 

What is your personal definition of sustainability?

Sustainability is the intentional effort to preserve a positive experience for future inhabitants of our world to enjoy. While we have the privilege to indulge ourselves in the abundant adventures life offers us, any action we take to appreciate the world ought to be accompanied by a corresponding effort to replenish the resources that enable that action. 

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

I love novelty. I find myself fascinated with reading about new inventions, revolutionary theories, and startup companies. We are at a stage in society where people genuinely want to improve our way of life, and there is a sense of openness to changing perspectives.  

However, with such a large volume of ideas and only a scarce amount of resources, what should we prioritize? This is a conversation I want to partake in; hence, I see sustainability playing a role in every aspect of my professional career.  

I see sustainability as the only way to optimize the collective enjoyment of these new ideas. If an organization dreams of serving the community for years to come, it must consider the fact that access to our world’s resources is becoming much more competitive and that by using them irresponsibly we are continuing to further perpetuate the climate crisis. Failing to acknowledge this fact will not only lead to the failure of the organization but also be counterintuitive to their initial desire of improving our society.   

What sustainability projects have you been engaged in?

I enjoy leveraging my entrepreneurial spirit to brainstorm innovative ways of solving our world’s challenges.  

Throughout my time at CEGEP, I developed a business plan for an app that would educate consumers about recycling. The app would use artificial intelligence to indicate if a material was recyclable, compostable, or waste. After developing a prototype, I used the idea to compete in a social entrepreneurship competition and ranked second place.  

After learning that the United States wastes more than 60 million tons of food per year, I pivoted towards creating an app that would use image recognition to keep an inventory of the items in your fridge. The service had the goal of decreasing food waste by avoiding duplicate purchases. Grocery shoppers could easily answer, “Do I still have milk at home?”  

I eagerly await the opportunity to address our world’s challenges and make a meaningful impact. I firmly believe that solving these challenges requires us to implement innovative ideas, and I am enthusiastic to work with individuals that share this belief.