Stream of study: Co-op
Are you involved in any campus clubs?
I am currently one of the Co-presidents of the Planning Students’ Association after assuming roles as a merchandise designer and secretary in my first and second years. I have also volunteered as an orientation leader, team captain, and peer mentor. Outside of the Faculty of Environment, I spent a term volunteering for UW Imprint doing layouts for their weekly paper.
Why did you choose to study in the Faculty of Environment at Waterloo?
I chose the Faculty of Environment because of the co-op program and because it is the home to one of the most well-known Planning programs in the province. Planning at Waterloo aligned with my interests and goals when picking a program to study as it allowed me to gain work experience and focus on my career goals which are very design oriented. I was also drawn to the smaller class sizes but also the opportunity to build meaningful connections with those who have different perspectives and ideas from me. While being a student within the Faculty, the opportunities presented to me have been better than I could have imagined and the community within Environment is unmatched!
What do you love most about your program?
What I love most about Planning is the community and the opportunities to explore different aspects of the profession. While in Planning, my interests, although rooted in urban design, have shifted through co-op experiences and several thought-provoking conversations I’ve had with professors. Planning allows it's students to look beyond their communities to see how environmental and social issues span across different urban (and rural) areas. I also love the flexibility to specialize in different planning topics, like urban design, which has allowed me to delve deeper into addressing planning issues with a perspective that interests me.
What problem would you like to solve?
I would like to help solve food security by designing sustainable and ethical urban agriculture systems within urban areas. This goal derives from my desire to make the world a better and greener place and lies within the scope of my Planning interests that I have emerged from being part of the Faculty of Environment.