To address environmental issues, Marina Miller needed to think big.  

“Geography really opened my eyes,” says Marina, a fourth-year student. “The discipline offers a way to understand different systems and aspects of our world, and that’s crucial because we need multifaceted solutions to solve global issues.”

Next year, Marina will graduate with a bachelor of environment in global environmental systems and a certificate in geographic information science (GIS).  

Looking to get involved and explore career paths, she joined the geography student union (GSU) and sought out experiential learning opportunities. Marina spent three semesters gaining hands-on experience with co-operative education placements at Translink and the Vancouver Airport Authority (YVR). At YVR, Marina worked with environmental specialists on ecosystem health projects like Waste Wars, a program designed to divert waste from landfills by accurately sorting into four stream bins. She helped the airport continue to achieve their goal of diverting 50 per cent of waste from landfills.  

“It’s really rewarding to see the impressive results from educating people on sorting waste, but honestly the best part of my job was really connecting with people,” says Marina. “I thought geography was mostly academic, but it is also a thriving community of changemakers.”

Original story prepared by Faculty of Environment