Leah Feor is completing the Master of Environment and Business (MEB) program, focusing on sustainable accounting and finance. A resident of Crystal Beach in the Town of Fort Erie, she holds an undergraduate degree in Commerce, with specialization in Accounting, from the Telfer School of Management and a graduate certificate in Environmental Management and Assessment from Niagara College. In September 2021, she will continue her studies in the School of Environment, Enterprise, and Development (SEED) in the PhD in Sustainability Management research program.
In 2008, Leah changed course towards sustainability. This changed inspired her to start a small business, travel extensively throughout Latin America, learn a new language, run for municipal office, and increase her knowledge of sustainable development, social responsibility, and education. Over the last ten years, she has developed skills in social innovation, entrepreneurship, business planning, critical thinking, problem-solving, public speaking, teaching, and team building.
The MEB has been an excellent preparation for her next career goal. In 2018, she began teaching part-time at Niagara College in the School of Business and Management. Even before starting, she knew that having a master’s degree would open many doors for her within academic institutions. Leah began to research online programs and kept coming back to the University of Waterloo’s uniquely designed master’s program.
The flexibility of the MEB program allowed Leah to continue working and living in the Niagara Region. The intensive two-week residency, kick off to the MEB program, creates the opportunity for meaningful engagement with future professors and the development of important relationships among peers. Leah’s experience with her classmates has been supportive, a learning environment that is collaborative rather than competitive. A foundation where relationships formed throughout the program are long-term and will not fade away simply when the classes end.
Leah is currently enrolled in the final course, ENBUS 690B, and she continues to work with Dr. Dan Murray, developing research on sustainability reporting by local governments in Ontario. As the MEB program nears completion, with an anticipated graduation date of July 2021, Leah look forward to continuing her learning journey at the University of Waterloo and gaining further depth in sustainability accounting and reporting.