Hi! It’s nice to meet you. Here's a little bit about me. 😊

I am a part of the first cohort of Sustainable Innovation graduates at Medicine Hat College! My program focuses mainly on studying the complex relationships between environmental systems and human technology, and how we can problem solve the climate crisis while sustaining our ever-growing global population.

I just joined the SEAWA team last week and I’m excited to learn more about the ways in which we can protect and conserve our waterways and riparian ecosystems during this summer season! So far, I have attended an event and talked with a few community members about our watershed, and it seems like there is a definite need for more outreach and initiatives. It was great to see so much community interest. 

I grew up in BC’s sunny Okanagan Valley, surrounded by mountains, orchards, and two beautiful lakes. As a kid, I was always interested in nature, and I would spend hours outside catching bugs and even petting snails and bumblebees (never got stung luckily!).

I was very passionate about making a difference somehow and working to create something tangible that I could put my name on and show pride for. It began with the idea of writing and illustrating a book (may still happen!), and it now includes what I do with my future career in sustainability. I’ve had some amazing opportunities during my college program to gain experience in my field and be a part of some great initiatives. 

During secondary school, I was a focused student (some would say a nerd), and I was very involved in the arts, becoming a peer tutor in my senior years.

I was also lucky enough to be able to visit Iceland with my classmates and learn all about the heritage and unique features of the area (I’ll include some of my favourite pictures!).

I was planning to go to postsecondary for art and design, as I’ve always loved visual storytelling, but then I stumbled across the new Sustainable Innovation program at MHC. It seemed to focus on a range of topics I was interested in, from creative problem solving and visual communications to learning about ecosystem science. Some of my favourite experiences within my program included a marketing campaign in which my classmate and I were nominated in a global competition, and the completion of my capstone project on water conservation which I put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into.

I was also honoured to be part of the new Centre for Innovation department at the college, which is an applied research branch focusing on researching new technologies and creating projects tackling a range of issues. I was welcomed on board this past summer and I worked on the communications and marketing for the Urban Tree Project headed by Brent Smith. The project focused on water and emissions reduction through the monitoring of soil and the gathering and growing of native, drought-resistant plants. Through this, I helped organize and host two big events (one of them an art reception!), present some of my work in front of industry professionals, and promote the department at career fairs and open houses. I was also involved in handing out the seedlings we had grown at the yearly plant exchange at MH Public Library!

I will be sharing my journey throughout the summer with SEAWA and any interesting experiences or challenges I come across for prospective students or interested community members! I hope you’ll join me, and a big thanks for reading! 😊