What made you interested in environmental sustainability?
When I was younger, I always loved polar bears. So when I got older I thought what could I do with wildlife and conservation. This led me to environmental sustainability.
Sophia Clement, Environmental Sustainability student
What do you like most about the program?
I like the hands-on experience. There is a lot of hands-on learning in this program with labs and field work. I learn more through applying myself than studying a textbook. Faculty is another reason I like this program. They know us by name and we aren’t just a number. The locations of the campuses is very helpful because there are more natural spots compared to Toronto. A lot more space to get hands-on learning in the field. A lot of the classes teach you about the landscapes in this region.
What is it like being a varsity athlete?
It is a lot of fun and a lot of work. Time management is important because I have to balance school, games and practices. You get a community of people around you that are committed to sports and education so you get motivated by them. To me, I think of sports as a break from studying and to de-stress. It allows me to have more energy to complete my school work. I recommend taking beaks from studying by going to the gym for two hours, or playing sports, then two hours of school, repeat. Being named captain has allowed me to develop my leadership qualities. It was nice to be named the captain this year.
What has been the most memorable part of your education so far?
It has been field school. It was so fun! We went to Algonquin Wildlife Centre at the start of third year. We did a project that contained more research aspects. We had the first week in class and three nights in the field. My project focused on measuring mammals in the human area and natural area to see if there was a change. We found there was more chipmunks in the human impact areas but no difference with mice. We get to go again next year before fourth year and it will be more independent with less help from our faculty. We can build on our project from this year or start a new project.
What advice would you give to future Lakehead-Georgian students?
Come prepared to study. Some of the classes are more knowledge based. Study in groups. As a group, we always figured things out better. Someone is always listening and one person is writing things down. Ask questions. You’re in a small class so no one is embarrassed.
