My name is Muska Zamani and I am an Ivey HBA student pursuing marketing. With a passion about children empowerment, sports, nutrition, and social responsibility, I want to create an environment of sustainable practices. My passion for sustainability goes back to elementary school, where I was part of the eco-team. From young age, I learned about the importance of sustainable practices. As time went on, I heard from various speakers, which further fueled my passion. Just like the speakers that have impacted me, I want to do the same for other individuals. 

What is your personal definition of sustainability?

In my opinion, sustainability is an integrated concept that aims to meet the present generation’s needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own by balancing economic, social, and environmental factors. This involves adopting sustainable practices like waste reduction, energy conservation and more. It is a mindset that promotes interconnectedness of all living beings, creating a more equitable world, both for the present and future.  

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

In the future, I aspire to combine my interests and explore the effects of athletes and influencers on the environment based on their nutrition and lifestyles. As sustainable practices become increasingly important, I aim to continue educating individuals, especially those in high socioeconomic brackets, as they contribute disproportionately to energy-driven GHG emissions (Nielsen et al., 2021). This aligns with my interests in sports and nutrition, as athletes are typically part of these groups. Additionally, once I establish myself in my professional career, I would like to empower children from a young age, similar to how I was inspired, to create a positive network effect. To achieve this, I envision working in a position where I can target these individuals, such as a professional sports league or a company that plays a significant role in a team's sponsorship. Considering all these factors, I see sustainability playing a crucial role in my career decisions. 

What sustainability projects have you been engaged in?

I have never had the opportunity to initiate my own sustainability project, but I have had three remarkable experiences helping others lead their initiatives. The first experience was in high school, where we collected bottle tabs from cans that would be donated to create recyclable wheelchairs. The second was helping with a sustainability week where we organized several activities to engage and educate students. For example, we held a food waste challenge where different houses competed. The challenge involved separating waste bins by houses, and students would put their respective food waste in them from lunch. At the end of the day, the waste would be weighed and tallied at the end of the week, with the winner receiving house points. Each activity during this week educated students about their carbon footprint. In university, I was a JDCC delegate and helped create a bottle drive toolkit for Burlington Green, enabling various organizations to run the drives and educate those involved. Looking ahead, I would like to leverage these experiences to launch my own initiative.