I’m a student with a passion for languages, art, and the environment. Before HBA1, I studied Linguistics and one of the best lessons I learned from my studies is not to be afraid of change. Language is a creative structure that is ever evolving–new words are produced every day and how we speak shifts across generations. Despite that, we impose the same rules prescribed ages ago to dictate how we communicate. When I think about my relationship with sustainability and society’s role in addressing climate change, I think to this lesson from languages: change is natural and necessary.

What is your personal definition of sustainability?

Sustainability to me means prioritizing the long-term; it means operating in a way that can be maintained for generations. Although we tend to use the term sustainable synonymously with environmentally friendly, sustainability goes far beyond simply maintaining our environment. Political, social and economic practices also need to be analyzed for their long-term validity, encompassed under the umbrella of sustainability. Not only does sustainability involve all of these factors, but many of them are intertwined. To operate a sustainable society, social, environmental and economic practices need to complement each other and work in tandem.

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

Sustainability will play a role in my career no matter where I end up and no matter what I end up doing. As a decision maker, I will always have sustainability in mind. I would love to work for a company that aligns with my beliefs and hope that one day I can work in a role where I can apply my passion for environmentalism to create change not only in the organization, but in my community. Having an interest in marketing, something that I may encounter in my professional career is greenwashing. This growing phenomenon poses a threat to sustainability as it prevents ethical consumers from turning their intentions into positive impacts. Being conscious of greenwashing’s harms, I will always prioritize integrity and will fight misleading claims of sustainability.

What sustainability projects have you been engaged in?

My passion for sustainability started in high school where I organized waste audits and environmental programming to successfully gain the Ontario EcoSchool Platinum Certification.

In my first year of university, I joined EnviroWestern as a First-Year Representative where I volunteered at events hosted by the committee such as the holiday market and pre-loved clothing sale. I also helped organize Ontario Hall’s Eco-Weekand lead the Sustainable New Year’s Resolutions contest, which challenged students across all residences to adopt more environmentally conscious habits.

The following year, I became the Director of First-Year Representatives for EnviroWestern during which time my team was awarded the Western Green Award for our commitment to sustainability. We coordinated with Western’s sustainability office to pilot a new organics waste program in select residences, where organics bins would be available in every student lounge instead of only in cafeterias. In addition, my team lead social events, media campaigns, created catalogs in partnership with local sustainable businesses and organized an eco-week with Dalhousie’s sustainability society.

This year I am a Project and Advocacy Executive for EnviroWestern. I continue to organize events and volunteer for EnviroWestern and am currently coordinating EnviroWestern’s first ever podcast showcasing environmentalism in the Western community.