Kayne Boyall
Co-President - I am thrilled to self-nominate for the Co-President role, bringing a strong background in leadership, event organization, and student engagement. As a former first-year representative in my undergraduate program, I collaborated closely with faculty and spearheaded events that strengthened our student community. My experience as captain of the varsity rowing team showcased my ability to lead with empathy, communicate effectively, and foster team cohesion, even through virtual settings. My role as a senior youth stakeholder and co-founder of the Generation Green initiative has instilled in me a commitment to environmental advocacy, teamwork, and strategic planning. I am eager to bring this experience to the GSA, ensuring our graduate community continues to thrive through meaningful activities, enhanced student representation, and strong collaboration with departments and stakeholders. I envision building on the current executive team's excellent work, amplifying our collective voice, and nurturing the welcoming, inclusive environment we have come to cherish. I am ready to represent and serve the needs of our student body with enthusiasm and dedication.
Yuki Yeung
GEM Representative - Hi everyone! I’m a 2nd year PhD student and I’m running to be your GEM representative. You may remember me from GEOG 700 (as a classmate or guest speaker), or from presenting about climate change adaptation at the EGSA conference. I’m intimately familiar with GEM as an academic program. I completed my BES in GEM, completed one year of my MA in GEM, and then fast-tracked into my PhD in GEM this fall. All in all, I am currently in my 7th year as a GEM student at the University of Waterloo, with at least 3 more years to go (that’s crazy)! This also means that I am intimately familiar with the opportunities and challenges we face as GEM students. Evidently, I love being a GEM student, but there is always opportunity for improvement. As a qualitative researcher, I believe perceptions to be the most valuable data sources. As your GEM representative, I hope to engage GEM students and effectively relay your feedback/perceptions to create supportive and ever-improving graduate student experiences for all of us here now, and future GEM students.
Alissa Gallizzi
SERS Representative - I believe I would be a strong fit for the SERS Representative role within EGSA due to my background in environmental studies, leadership, and student engagement. My experience as the founder of a student-led sustainability club during my undergraduate has equipped me with the skills to lead initiatives and foster collaboration among students, which directly aligns with EGSA's goals of student involvement and community-building. My ongoing involvement in projects on campus as a research assistant and my commitment to socio-ecological research further demonstrate my dedication to community engagement. I understand the importance of gathering meaningful feedback, and I am comfortable facilitating discussions to ensure that all voices are represented. With my strong foundation in environmental advocacy, academic leadership, and effective communication, I am well-prepared to contribute to EGSA’s mission.
Kristie Shannon
External Communications Chair - I enjoy being involved in student societies and helping to create a fun, welcoming environment for all students. In my undergraduate studies, I held multiple positions on the Waterloo Association of Geography Students (WAGS), including being president for 2 terms. My other roles involved a lot of work with social media, email correspondences, and student engagement. I'm really excited for a new opportunity to engage with my peers!
Prashansa Kooshna
SEED Representative - Hello, I would like to create a space for engagement of our SEED folks to foster connections, listen to each other and support each other in our paths.
Weronika Fydrych
Co-President - My name is Weronika and I have been here at UW for undergrad and now grad school. During my time here, I was helping with ESS in my undergrad while working for ETIS and now I'm a part of EGSA in my first year of grad school. I have built strong relationships with both staff and students here and hope to use my knowledge and resources to make this place more of a home for grad students.
Hayley Kavanagh
Space Liaison - Hello folks, my name is Hayley and I’m nominating myself for the position of Space Liaison. One of my most memorable co-op experiences involved working in IT using an asset manager program. I have such fond memories of this program because it allowed me to support a cooperate company in an organized fashion. Spreadsheets and new organization hacks are part of my identity and I’d relish the opportunity to support the EGSA using these skills. In my undergrad, I helped out as a room volunteer for the fem-phys room. This work gave me experience in helping to maintain a safe and clean space for individuals to connect and study. If you choose to elect me as asset manager, my number one mission will be to bring cutlery to the EGSA lounge!
Tamara Marchant
Internal Communications Chair - As Internal Communications Chair, I think I could be a strong candidate from my previous experiences managing the UWaterloo Geography social media accounts, as well as the social media correspondences for the non-profit organization Focus on Nature. I have lots of experience developing promotional material in the forms of videos, social media posts, flyers, and more which makes me a great candidate for this position!
Jesse Meeson
Events Director - I am super passionate about fostering a positive and welcoming community in the environment faculty. Since starting my masters I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the events that have been made available to me, they have allowed me to meet new people and expand my knowledge in the discipline. The sense of community is rife with everyone supporting each other and our research. This is something I would want to continue as events director. I believe that I am an open, friendly, and approachable person who would be willing to listen to everyone’s ideas and create events that will contribute to an open and friendly academic space.
Charvi Choudhary
SEED Representative - Charvi is a PhD student in Sustainability Management, with a background in data, technology and environmental analysis. She is deeply committed to fostering an inclusive, engaging, and supportive academic community within SEED. With experience volunteering for organizations like Evergreen and Canadian Mental Health Association, Charvi has developed a strong foundation in leadership, event facilitation, community engagement, and collaborative organization for diverse communities. Having previously served as an Engineering Ambassador and a peer tutor at the university, Charvi has experience in mentorship, peer support and building relationships and networks across the student body. With this experience, she seeks to foster a welcoming environment for graduate students, ensuring that they feel heard, valued and included. As an advocate for innovation, transdisciplinarity, and knowledge integration within sustainability, Charvi is eager to contribute to an environment where graduate students can collaborate, share ideas, and access resources to grow both academically and professionally. Through this role, Charvi seeks to prioritize transparent communication between SEED graduate students and the EGSA, ensuring that concerns and needs are effectively relayed and addressed, and hopes to create meaningful opportunities where students can connect, collaborate, and feel well-supported.