I am currently completing the Bachelor of Arts Faculty Program in Environment at 平特五不中. Intrigued by environmental and economic issues, I decided to pursue the Economics and Earth鈥檚 Environment domain from the Environment Program. In fall 2022, I will be starting my second year as an Environment student.
I strongly believe community engagement plays a central role in climate action. Thus, I am interested in participating in environmental groups in my community, whether it be for activism, raising awareness on sustainable practices or simply sharing my love for gardening with others. I love connecting with individuals who are passionate about environmental issues. Engaging in groups allows me to build these meaningful connections.
When I am not messing around with my garden or indoor plants, I enjoy taking walks around Montreal neighborhoods and spending quality time with friends. Discovering new restaurants has been my go-to activity this summer.
The interdisciplinary aspect of the environment is another area that fascinates me. I love learning about the interconnectedness of various topics. Looking at the global climate crisis, it is undeniable that economics, politics, and ethics play equally important roles as environmental systems. I am grateful that my bachelor program allows me to dive into these complex relationships.
The Campaign Coordination internship at Climate Reality Project Canada caught my interest for many reasons. Firstly, I wanted to gain working experience in an environmental organization over the course of my first summer as a university student. I wanted to understand the inner workings of an environmental organization. Secondly, I was eager to apply the environmental knowledge and work ethic skills that I had acquired in a working environment with concrete projects. Lastly, I was confident that doing the internship at Climate Reality Project Canada would give me valuable knowledge on the global climate crisis, climate action, citizen engagement and climate policies. I hoped to further understand how climate action can be encouraged and implemented successfully on a municipal, regional, and national level. I also knew that completing an internship would enable me to acquire useful interpersonal and intrapersonal skills that I could apply in future professional and personal endeavors.
Climate Reality Project Canada (CRPC) was my host organization this summer. This environmental organization鈥檚 mission is to build and connect networks of empowered individuals in communities across Canada. To do so, they equip citizens with the right tools and knowledge to allow for effective change within their communities. To accomplish their mission, the organization offers trainings to citizens, encourages citizen engagement, and promotes various sustainable initiatives. Their approach is rooted in the empowerment of citizens and encourages a bottom-up approach.
As the Campaign Coordination intern, I had various responsibilities. A big portion of my mandate was assisting the National Campaign Manager in developing and researching a variety of national, provincial, and municipal campaigns. During the internship, I conducted research on environmental policies, divestment, and innovative sustainable initiatives. Other tasks included data collection, data organization, creating workshops, and developing various texts raising awareness about Canadian environmental policy and climate action.
The highlights of my internship were meeting the CRPC team in person. The first time I met part of the CRPC team was during an in-person workday. It was refreshing to work with colleagues and experience a workday away from my makeshift home office. The working environment made me feel comfortable and motivated. It was inspiring to see such passionate individuals working on projects they felt strongly for. Another highlight of my internship was a team bonding day spent on a colleague鈥檚 ecological farm. This day encouraged team spirit and helped build stronger connections.
Throughout my internship I struggled with working remotely. In the beginning, I had a lot of difficulty sticking to a strict working schedule. I would get distracted very easily at home, where I had set up a working space. To overcome these challenges, I decided to work at cafes or libraries at least twice a week. Changing work environment helped increase my productivity and concentration.
I did not receive any academic credit for my internship.
This internship confirmed that I wanted to work in this field of study. I am eager to learn more about the environment and become equipped to encourage change on the local, regional, and national level.
The Wendy Patton Keys Arts Internship Award supported me financially and allowed me to completely dedicate myself to my internship. I would like to thank Ms. Wendy Patton Keys once again for their generous donation. I am very grateful to be the recipient of this award.
