by Rubin Kataki, Advancement & Alumni Relations Officer
Although delayed due to the pandemic, on October 11, 2023, Sheila Ball (BES’12), an alumnus of United College, received the prestigious 2021 United College Young Alumni Award at a special and intimate ceremony at the “SOCIAL” in downtown Ottawa, surrounded by fellow alumni, family, colleagues, friends, and staff.
The Young Alumni Award every year provides an opportunity for the United College community to gather together and celebrate a young alumni’s achievements: recognizing leadership, volunteerism, and lifelong learning.
In 2007, Sheila moved into United College (formerly St. Paul’s University College) in the French Living Learning Community, La Bastille. Her leadership as a student was quickly noted and in her 2nd year, she became a Don overseeing 1st year students living on Dungeon and Oasis. Sheila noted she loved living at United College: it was a tight-knit community that she very much was deeply involved in: participating in Ultimate Frisbee intramurals, joining Activity Council as Treasurer, participating in the former, Aboriginal Student Association (ASA), enjoying movie nights in the student lounge, participating in the UW Lifeguard Team, organizing a food can drive for Hallowe'en, organized a trip to El Salvador to build two houses with Habitat for Humanity during reading week of 2009 and of course, she learned to enjoy the college’s late-night tradition of toast. Sheila noted: “I was never much of a toast person, but it grew on me as a nice evening social gathering, giving me a nice sense of community at the college and a home away from home”.
During her time at the University of Waterloo Sheila took a course, "Human Dimensions of Natural Hazards" taught by Faculty of Environment Professor Brent Doberstein, which ignited her passion in working with natural disasters, particularly with water-related issues. Naturally, Sheila focused her internship on the last year of her International Development Program on water, spending 5 months working for a water utility in Peru before moving to work for the Ministry of Environment in Lima.
After graduating from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Environmental Studies in International Development, a minor in Geography and Environmental Management, and a Diploma in Environmental Assessment in 2012, Sheila completed a specialized Master of Science in Hydro-Informatics and Water Management jointly offered by five European universities in France, Spain, the UK, Germany and Hungry.
Now, with over 10 years of experience working in the water sector, Sheila has worked on four continents (Asia, Europe, North and South America) focusing on topics such as climate change impacts on freshwater availability, Integrated Water Resources Management, water quality analysis, citizen-based monitoring, and sustainable water use. In her current role at Environment and Climate Change Canada, she is working on floodplain mapping, providing strategic and technical advice and supporting federal departments, primarily Natural Resources Canada and Public Safety Canada, as well as provinces and territories. She is also a polyglot who speaks English, French, and Spanish fluently, with some proficiency in German, Dutch and Catalan.
As a volunteer, Sheila has been a trip leader for Habitat for Humanity International, President of the EuroAquae Alumni Association, and when her young daughter is a bit older, she will return as an Emergency Response Team Responder with the Canadian Red Cross.
When Sheila was asked prior to her award presentation: Any supportive words of wisdom or gratitude for the next generation of United College students? She said: “Don't be afraid to dream big!” Most of her big life decisions around the time she was a student started with 'so I have this crazy idea...'. Luckily, she shared: she has a very supportive family and friends that always encouraged her to follow her big dreams. Never underestimate the power of your network and the connections that you make. The world is very small.
In recognition of her leadership, volunteerism, academic and career achievements, passion for lifelong learning, and exemplifying the values of United College, please join United College in welcoming Sheila Ball as United College’s 2021 Young Alumni Award Recipient!