This week, as York U celebrates the next class of graduating students during the 2017 Fall Convocation, the Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES) will host an event that recognizes the success of alumni, and the potential of current students.
First-year students in the master in environmental studies program will have an opportunity to meet and liaise with successful FES alumni during the 12th annual Anita McBride Mentoring Luncheon on Oct. 17.
FES will welcome 17 alumni that have established successful careers in a variety of different industries, including conservation and resource management, environmental education, corporate social responsibility, energy and climate change, the arts, law and social justice and planning.
The luncheon will inspire the MES class of 2019 to consider their future possibilities by giving them an inside look into what their futures might hold after their own convocation ceremony.
The Anita McBride Mentoring Luncheon is an annual event for FES students and alumni, consisting of a panel presentation and informal reception. Anita McBride is former director of the FES Office of Student & Academic Services.
“The Mentoring Luncheon was established when I retired from FES and I couldn’t be more pleased about how it has worked out over the year,” said McBride. “It offers alumni the opportunity to return to the Faculty and share their experiences with current students and explain how they’re applying what they learned during their time at FES in the ‘real’ world. And for current students, the Luncheon is a terrific event – they can meet graduates and pick their brains about careers that might not have occurred to them before. I’m really looking forward to this year’s panel of speakers.”
This year’s panel will include:
· Charmaine Lurch (MES ’15) – interdisciplinary visual artist
· Dave Hardy (MES ’78) – president, Hardy Stevenson & Associates Limited
· Melissa Peneycad (MES ’07) – director, Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure
· Brad Zarnett (MES ’09) – founder and executive director, Toronto Sustainability Speaker Series (TSSS)
· Nancy Singer, (MES ’80) – executive director, Kehilla Residential Program
McBride remains instrumental in the event through her continued financial support, along with maintaining numerous connections with FES alumni and inviting them annually to share their experiences with current students. FES thanks McBride for her continued support and dedication to Environmental Studies students.