A ardour for the surroundings, native meals sustainability and a need to become involved in making the world a greater place had been the core drivers of Emma Simard-Provençal’s extra-curricular actions at VIU.
Nonetheless, the time, vitality and work that she concurrently put into her research additionally paid dividends, and now Emma is balancing knowledgeable profession with neighborhood constructing.
Emma graduated this 12 months from VIU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and is now working as pediatric nurse at BC Youngsters’s Hospital.
At her convocation ceremony on June 23, Emma was named this 12 months’s recipient of VIU’s Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Inclusion, Democracy and Reconciliation, an award that acknowledges a prime graduating scholar who has excelled of their research whereas positively contributing to life at VIU and/or within the broader neighborhood.
“Receiving this award made all my onerous work appear not solely acknowledged, however valued,” she says.
We caught up with Emma to get her additional ideas on this system, the award and her total expertise at VIU.
What does receiving this award and recognition imply to you?
Receiving this award made all my onerous work appear not solely acknowledged however valued. I spent all 4 years of my time at VIU working two scholar golf equipment that labored onerous to enhance our Nanaimo campus and neighborhood. The VIU Eco Membership, which I cofounded, centered on hands-on enchancment of the surroundings by means of nature walks, clothes swaps, litter pickups, volunteering with native farms and habitat restoration. The VIU Group Peace Backyard Membership, which I took over in my final 12 months, centered on educating college students the way to develop their very own meals, upholding our Bee-Pleasant campus designation, and enhancing data of native meals programs and pollinators. I helped provoke two giant ardour tasks that may far outlast my time at VIU, and these gave me a extra well-rounded training than courses alone ever may. I helped fundraise greater than $2,000 for the Eco Membership to create a Garry oak ecosystem on the prime of campus the place earlier than there was only a hillside of grass and invasive species. Garry oak meadows are necessary ecosystems for native First Nations, however lower than 5% of this superbly biodiverse ecosystem stays. This mission has many long-term targets, however we’ve already made important strides with 62 native species planted thus far. My hope is that the area and crops will proceed to develop as new membership members develop on what we began. As for the Backyard Membership, I helped safe $7,500 in funding to create a local edible ecosystem. We planted 31 native edible species, created signage in Hul’qumi’num, English and Latin, and arranged numerous workshops on meals safety and gardening. We additionally created a doc to share with college students that lists every plant’s conventional makes use of, which was created in partnership with VIU’s Elder-in-Residence C-tasi:a – Geraldine Manson and famend ethnobotanist Nancy Turner.
I’ll have sowed the seeds for these golf equipment (fairly actually in some instances), however the advantages will likely be reaped by many. My hope is that these tasks can proceed rising for years to come back and educate future college students on native ecosystems, Indigenous data programs, connecting with the Earth, and rising meals and medicines.
What drew you to pursue your post-secondary training at VIU?
I selected to review at VIU for a lot of causes, however lots of it got here right down to affordability and funds. Finding out at VIU meant I may keep near household, spend much less on charges per semester and profit from the amplitude of scholarships provided. I used to be additionally attracted by the smaller class sizes and the fame of my program (Bachelor of Science in Nursing).
Are you able to inform us about any challenges you confronted throughout your research or in any other case, and the way you overcame them?
One of many issues I struggled with essentially the most was balancing my research with my extracurricular membership involvement, particularly once I was beginning out. Time is a valuable factor when you could have an ever-growing listing of readings, papers, and assignments, however I knew that I wanted an outlet for my ardour for environmental activism and I discovered that the time I devoted to my golf equipment helped me destress from classwork. It definitely helped that my golf equipment had been doing issues like gardening and happening nature walks, although the organizational facet of issues nonetheless took an excellent chunk of my free time. I feel what helped me obtain stability essentially the most was discovering a supportive staff that I may lean on and giving myself permission to not should do every part by myself. I met among the best folks by means of VIU golf equipment, and understanding they’ve received your again and are coping with the identical struggles actually helps.
What’s subsequent for you, training or career-wise, or each?
Profession-wise, I’m now working as a pediatric nurse at BC Youngsters’s Hospital. I hope to return again to the island and ultimately strive labour and supply nursing as properly. When it comes to the environmental facet of issues, I took a quick hiatus to permit myself time to get settled into my new residence and research for my licensing examination, however I’m desperate to get again into it. It’s an entire completely different scene residing in a bustling metropolis, however I’ve already discovered a number of neighborhood gardening teams and environmental advocacy networks that I plan to affix. I’m excited to fulfill new like-minded people and pursue my passions once more with renewed vigour.
How do really feel your time at VIU helped in your path in direction of reaching this purpose?
The nursing program at VIU is a well-reputed and supportive program. The college and college students went above and past to encourage and welcome everybody. Due to their assist, I used to be in a position to end my diploma in 4 years and start my profession as a Registered Nurse instantly after commencement.
I don’t prefer to separate speaking about my profession from my environmentalism, as a result of I see so some ways wherein they will intersect and complement each other, however for now they haven’t grow to be absolutely related in my life. Earlier than I began at VIU, my ardour for environmentalism was simply budding. By means of the Parks Canada Membership, I met my accomplice with whom I began the Eco Membership. By means of this membership, I met dozens of different fantastic folks and ended up taking over management of the Backyard Membership. These experiences ignited my ardour, helped me study new hobbies (like gardening, herbalism and choosing up litter) and strengthened my need to advocate for a greater planet.
What was the spotlight of your time at VIU, and what has been the largest takeaway?
I’d should say that the spotlight of my college diploma wasn’t the training, although I’m very grateful for that. I’m most grateful for the folks I met and the connections I made. I didn’t simply achieve a Bachelor of Science in Nursing; I left VIU with a life accomplice, a number of lifelong mates and neighborhood connections that encourage me in my pursuit of making a extra sustainable future.
The rest you wish to add?
Seeing the wonderful work that scholar golf equipment can do, I’d like to put in a pair plugs. First, to the college, to proceed discovering methods to assist and finance scholar tasks, both by making a funding program like another universities the place a portion of every scholar’s tuition goes in direction of scholar tasks (e.g. 25 cents), or by spreading the phrase about tasks that would use extra folks energy. Secondly, although I’ve graduated, the Backyard Membership and Eco Membership are persevering with on beneath new management. I wish to encourage present and future college students to affix these golf equipment to strive one thing new, meet new folks, and discover one other worldview. On this time of worldwide local weather disaster, the Earth can use all the assistance she will be able to get, and there are such a lot of methods you may assist her. By means of exploring resilient native meals programs, planting a backyard, supporting native pollinators and plant species most tailored to our local weather, lowering plastic air pollution or banding collectively for a brand new mission fully, everybody could make a distinction. It may be overwhelming, however you simply want to recollect: assume globally, act domestically.
