Michelle Angkasa (she/they), a fourth-year Environment and Business student explains their role in protecting the environment through co-op and dissects how they integrate their passion for policy in all their initiatives.
Michelle's co-op experiences:
Work term 1: Michelle worked at the as a communication assistant. In this position, they oversaw social media and constituent correspondence. They were able to integrate their knowledge of environment-related topics and political advocacy.
Work term 2: They held the position of policy assistant at . They worked with developmental services organizations that helped adults with developmental disabilities.
Work term 3: Michelle worked at as a student engagement intern. They learned about impact investment and met several influential figures in the field. Alongside this, they worked with a cohort of interns and carried out marketing initiatives as well.
Work terms 4 and 5: Michelle currently works with the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ at the Sustainability Office as an outreach and communication assistant. They hold several responsibilities such as crafting social media posts, writing their newsletter and managing programs.
Q and A with Michelle
Q: Reflecting on your co-op positions, in what area did you make the largest impact?
A: “My personal mission is to advance climate action and climate justice. Therefore, my impact has been greatest in my fourth and fifth co-ops. There was a good balance between bureaucracy and impact, which made me feel like I had a platform to advocate for the environment.â€
“Overall, it is becoming increasingly important to find a job where there is tangible impact. I believe it ranks as high as income, perks and even work-life balance in terms of expectations from a job.â€
Q: What were some challenges you faced during co-op?
A: “My first challenge was simply adjusting to the impacts of the pandemic. My first co-op was completely remote which was a big change for me. I noticed that we had to put in a lot more effort to maintain team culture, to promote a sense of cohesion and to encourage engagement.â€
“My second challenge was figuring out how to leave an impact in environment and policy. Quite often, it is necessary to compromise on a few aspects of a job in order to ensure that you are able to have a positive impact in your field.â€
“Additionally, when working in advocacy and activism, it is easy to burn out because you feel the need to give a 110% all the time, as the problems we tackle are so detrimental. I had to make some hard decisions about my capacity to find the right balance for myself. I recommend taking what you value and trying to figure out a way to balance that with a steady career.â€
Q: What sparked your interest in the field of environment?
A: “I had been interested in the environment from a young age. I think it comes from my family and how I was raised. My parents were very particular about not wasting things and saving resources. That instilled a very strong sense of conscientiousness and I always felt responsible for my actions.â€
Q: You are the recipient of . Can you give us an overview of your contributions that lead to you receiving this award?
A: “The Starfish is an environmental charity and they run this award to recognize environmentalists from around Canada. I had the opportunity to run a lot of campaigns and initiatives over the years. For instance, I was the national representative for the Not Going Back campaign that was led by a collation of youth-led climate organizations in 2020. We put forward a set of demands that would ensure equitable and sustainable recovery from the pandemic.â€
“I also served as the first ever À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) sustainability commissioner in 2021. I was able to write a lot of policies and serve on advisory boards. I believed I helped in shaping what the role has become today.â€
“Last year, I ran for the Green Party of Ontario in Mississauga, which was my first foray into politics. I knocked on hundreds of doors, conducted several interviews and connected with a lot of constituents on different issues. Coming from an environmental background, it was very interesting to learn what the average Ontarian thinks. I was able to move out of my environmental bubble and see where people are at and how I could approach the conversation of improving our systems.â€
Q: What is next for you?
A: “I am not too sure yet, but I am glad that I used co-op to explore different positions and organizations. Over the course of my co-op, I worked in the public, private and educational sectors. I will graduate with a lot of insight into what I want to do. I have also accumulated a lot of experiences to talk about. I care a lot about youth engagement and climate justice, so I am looking for a job with a combination of those elements.â€