Another Spring/Summer term is ending, and another cohort of Master of Sustainability (SSAS) students in the major research paper and co-op pathway are approaching the end of their work placements. We caught up with Rebecca Anderson and Allegra Caballero and they shared with us the work they’ve been doing and how it’s inspired them to become sustainability professionals.
Allegra Caballero
Allegra Caballero is working with the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) as a Land Planning Associate. In this role, she supports the NPCA’s full-time Land Planning staff in their implementation of key land planning, acquisition, and public engagement activities, and has also been helping her team plan for the development of management plans for priority conservation areas. This is done through research, policy writing, and drafting text to populate the NPCA’s main webpage.
When asked how her first year in the SSAS program prepared her for success in her co-op role, Allegra responded that “the coursework in the SSAS program has helped me gain valuable experience working on various management plans and working with others to reach a shared goal.
Rebecca Anderson
Rebecca Anderson is working for Brock University as the Sustainability Coordinator in the Facilities Management department. She described her role as being based significantly in sustainability education, “right now we are working on increasing the waste diversion rates on campus, so I am in the process of creating content like posters and online resources that will help educate staff and students on different waste streams”. Brock University is also preparing to submit for the 2025 THE Impact Rankings, and Rebecca has written a Brock News article highlighting Brock’s most recent submission.
Like Allegra, Rebecca shared that her first year in the SSAS program helped to prepare her for her co-op position, “[my courses] familiarized me with concepts like the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and technical skills like preparing and responding to requests for proposals (RFPs). These were areas I was previously unfamiliar with, but that are now core elements that we use almost daily in my current workplace”.
Allegra and Rebecca both shared how their co-op roles enriched their understanding of sustainability science and prepared them for careers in the sustainability field. “In just three short months, I have learned a tremendous amount” said Rebecca, adding “it has opened my eyes to other career options, as prior to this I had never considered working within an [academic] institution. I am appreciative of the administrative and legal concepts I have learned on the job that are crucial for tasks such as securing contracts or mandated reporting of our recycling data to the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority.” Allegra echoed this sentiment, sharing that “working with a conservation authority has helped me reimagine sustainability, the value of nature, and where an individual with my skills and abilities can contribute to its protection – I have gained new skills and abilities that I hope to bring with me into a career at a conservation authority or environmental agency”.
We are thrilled to see these students thriving in their workplaces, and look forward to hearing more from them when they return to begin their second year in the SSAS program!
