Growing up in the Rouge, I have always enjoyed spending time outside. My family and I would go on hikes through the trails surrounding our community; we would sail in the summers and build snow forts in the winter. From a very young age, my dad demonstrated the value of every living thing. I have never seen him kill a spider, mosquito, or centipede. This greatly influenced how I view the world today: as a beautiful connection of organisms that create the natural environment. I still enjoy hikes, bike riding, and sailing and enjoy the peace that nature brings me.

What is your personal definition of sustainability? 

Potentially owing to my background in health sciences, when I think about sustainability, I think of the Sustainable Development Goals. Because of this, I see sustainability as the intersection of environmental and social justice. To me, sustainability is a major factor in global health and quality of life. Working towards a more sustainable world involves creating systems that can sustain ecosystems for future generations and act as protective factors against poverty, food insecurity, homelessness, and inequities. Looking at sustainability through a social justice lens reduces the perception that one needs a degree in environmental science to become involved. 

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

I am very passionate about eliminating inequities in health, both within and between countries. This coming summer, I am working for the digital health team at Manulife. I see digital health as an interesting concept when thought about through a sustainability lens. It has the potential to reduce travel time, especially in rural communities, when attending medical appointments. It could allow for more equitable access to medical care, becoming a sustainable system that considers some of the social determinants of health. As climate change becomes more visible through natural disasters and disease outbreaks, the push toward sustainability will become much stronger, and health inequities will become more pronounced. Because I plan to work in a healthcare-related field, sustainability may involve creating innovative solutions that can address these inequities and target their root causes. Many environmental and health interventions are complementary to one another. For example, walkable cities reduce emissions from motor vehicles and improve exercise rates. Reducing emissions can improve air quality, which can improve the quality of life for communities. This presents an opportunity to combine physical, human, and capital resources from 2 sectors to make change on a larger scale and governmental agendas.

What sustainability projects have you been engaged in?

Taking a more traditional view of sustainability, I have been engaged in many campaigns at the Toronto Zoo. I have volunteered at their Zoo Camp, teaching children about different ecosystems, animals, and organisms. I have also been involved in fundraising for endangered species and environmental degradation. This experience has made me much more appreciative of the roles of each organism in an ecosystem (and person in a society) and the importance of early education. Expanding my view of sustainability to include social justice issues, I am involved as a volunteer at Anova. Anova is a women’s and children’s shelter working to eliminate patriarchal patterns that result in gender-based sexual violence and inequality. I see my work here as a contribution to an organization that is creating sustainable change in both systems and individual lives. It has shown me that when searching for sustainable changes, trial and error is inevitable, and each person has their own resistance point. On average, women go back to an abusive partner seven times before leaving for good. As humans, it is hard to break our patterns, whether that be a comfortable person or shopping for new clothes every weekend; that doesn’t mean we stop trying.

Please list any sustainability-related interests you want to explore during the certificate. 

• Interconnection between health and the environment (in terms of natural disasters, food insecurity, wealth inequalities, diminishing resources)
• Sustainable communities (walkability, resources, etc.)
• Consumption (how to address overconsumption and create cyclical industries, specifically clothing)