MATCHING PASSION WITH SKILLS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

BAO WILLIAMSON, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Bao Williamson wants a career where she can explore the natural world and protect it too.

As an Environmental Science student, she applies what she is learning in the classroom to the real world through labs, field schools and co-op internships.

While on a paid co-op placement with Environment Canada, Bao gained a deeper understanding of the importance of protecting our wetlands and identified ways to prevent future loss and also protect wildlife.

MORE HANDS-ON THAN YOU THINK.

CREATING INCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES

BRADLEY SARANDI, HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

Human Geography student, Bradley Sarandi, helps marginalized individuals in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES).

Volunteering in the Geography Student Union and multiple sustainability initiatives on campus helped him to better understand and evaluate complex social issues. This prepared him to contribute to the DTES community.

He co-founded Cultivate Inclusivity, a volunteer organization that partners with local businesses and employment agencies to create micro jobs for individuals who face barriers to employment. This creates opportunities for income generation, job experience and networking.

Now in his final year of studies, Bradley has a permanent job as a Program Officer for Employment and Social Development Canada. 

MORE LOCAL THAN YOU THINK.

BUILDING A BETTER WORLD IS A FAMILY AFFAIR

BRENNAN & MIRETA STRANDBERG-SALMON, RESOURCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Mireta and Brennan Strandberg-Salmon are siblings in the School of Resource and Environmental Management making change happen.

From sparking a campus-wide single-use plastic ban, to fostering youth engagement in climate policy, the pair have led different initiatives to advance sustainability since entering SFU with the same goal: to do good for people and the planet.

This summer they joined forces on a paid co-op placement with Environment and Climate Change Canada as Project Coordinators for the World Circular Economy Forum. The Forum focuses on how to change the way Canadians consume finite resources to improve our relationship with the Earth.

MORE GLOBAL THAN YOU THINK.

UNCOVERING THE HISTORY OF A PORTUGUESE COMMUNITY

RORY DOUCETTE, ARCHAEOLOGY

As a queer, non-binary, neurodivergent individual, Rory Doucette brought a unique perspective to Archaeology’s Field School in Portugal. Their experiences empower them to think critically about archaeology’s colonial past and advance reconciliation. 

During the five-week field school, they put classroom theory to practice while excavating an archaeological cemetery and contributing to reconciliation and cultural preservation in Portugal.

This field school uncovered a lot about the community’s transition between the medieval Islamic and Christian periods while giving students hands-on experience excavating, mapping, and recording archaeological remains. 

MORE PERSPECTIVE THAN YOU THINK.