Hi folks! It’s amazing to meet you and share a little part of my experiences with you.

I am a graduating student of Sustainable Innovation course at Medicine Hat College! Sustainable innovation is brand new program focuses on sustainable practices which involves three pillars: Economics, Environment, and Social. We believe that the balance among these three pillars can mitigate impacts to the environment, due the complex relationship between economic growth and good health and well being of the society. 

Recently I become part of SEAWA, and it’s an outstanding opportunity to learn about our region and its different landscape always improving my knowledge in how to protect our aquatic ecosystem (Environment), reliable, quality water supply for a sustainable economy grows (Economics), and safe and secure drinking water to the community (Social). During this summer we will be participating of a lot of events which will build and enhance SEAWA’s relationship with the community, developing local watershed knowledge, educating the public, and watershed Stakeholders o support SEAWA’s activities. The interaction with families (children in special) has been a grateful experience and a good moment to explain that a sustainable water system starts with a healthy watershed. Well, the summer is just beginning, and we have a lot to do!

                 I was born in Brazil, in the Amazon Rain Forest region, the biggest rain forest, and biggest biodiversity of the world. That beautiful green region is divided in half by the majestic Amazon River. However, due the career opportunity (I am bachelor’s in economics, Diploma in Electricity Technician), I spent the last 17 years from 2005 to 2022 living in the southern of Brazil which has a strong cultural influence of European immigrants (Germany, Poland, Italy, Hungary, Austria) refugees from the war or political adversities. These people chose Brazil to live and thrive with their families. The immigrants had a strong experience in agriculture and industry activities and that knowledge in a few decades transformed the south region, in the most industrialized area of Brazil.  My generation was not so concerned about sustainable practices basically we adopted the linear system such as: Take (natural inputs), Use (manufacture), Waste (Garbage). Well, the results of that careless with our planet we can see now, and it is not good. But never is too late to make the difference.

  Since I was 15 my dream was to live in Canada, life shows different perspectives (University, family, Career) just kept me away form that teenage dream. In 2021 we suffered a lot due the Covid-19, and we decide to rescue my old dream and move to Canada and work hard to give a better future to my family. Thus, I applied to Medicine Hat College for the new program Sustainable Innovation which I was accepted to start in the Fall 2022. “When your kids start to ask you about preservation for a better world, and you figure out that you don’t have answers. Well, that is the time to do something different, I would say sustainable innovative!”

    Back to College environment after so many years was a huge challenge. However, I had during my college an extraordinary knowledge gain in sustainable practices and initiatives. Now make sense the idea of circular sustainable economy such as Borrow (Natural inputs), Use (Manufacture, Transform), Return (Reusing, Recycling).

I have no doubts that my favorite experience in the college was to see the young students searching for new possibilities to respect the resilience of our planet, implementing social responsibility in corporations, and preparing themselves to educate the future generations. Education is the key that I strongly support to increase hope in better days.     

This summer at SEAWA will be challenging and full of adventures. I will be sharing with you, my experiences.  I hope to have you onboard with me and encourage you to be a supportive stakeholder of SEAWA, and many thanks for reading!