Research shows some prospective students consider universities’ commitments to sustainability before choosing where to study. For Léonie-Christelle Lado-Nguedam, it was a key consideration.
Before accepting her offer of admission to the Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture, she researched McGill’s sustainability progress: its QS sustainability ranking, its STARS rating and its long-term targets to become zero-waste and carbon neutral.
“I could see McGill was a bit of a leader in terms of sustainability,” said Lado-Nguedam. Combined with its rigorous academics and unique linguistic environment – she’s fluent in English and French – “McGill felt like a good choice.”
Since enrolling, Lado-Nguedam’s engagement in sustainability has grown exponentially. She has served as a Sustainability Co-ordinator for the Architecture Students’ Association as well as a Sustainability Projects Fund (SPF) Ambassador, leading two SPF projects.
“Thanks to McGill, I’ve been able to find a great community of like-minded students who are very involved in sustainability,” she said.
Growing green
Now in her third year, Lado-Nguedam finds that McGill continues to offer opportunities to explore her passions.
She’s currently serving as the first-ever student representative on the board of directors of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and counts François Miller, McGill’s Executive Director of Sustainability, as a mentor.
“Being part of the AASHE organization is my proudest accomplishment so far,” said Lado-Nguedam.
Last semester, she attended the organization’s annual conference, networking with students and professionals involved in sustainability.
“Learning about the initiatives people were accomplishing on their respective campuses inspired me to try to bring some of those ideas back to McGill,” she said.
In addition to her sustainability work and active involvement in the architecture program, Lado-Nguedam attends events held by Black Inclusion, Success, and Strategic Initiatives (BISSI) and the McGill African Students Society; she was born in Cameroon and raised in Canada.
“Their get-togethers helped me connect with others with a similar cultural background and helped me feel I was not alone in my experience as a Black student at McGill; it helped better my experience,” she said.
This semester, the student will study abroad in Belgium. Going forward, Lado-Nguedam said she intends to pursue a career combining architecture and sustainability, as those two McGill communities have shaped her the most.
“The SPF Ambassador program helped me branch out and learn about my campus, and Architecture’s small program has made it easy to get involved and connect with students. Those opportunities have helped me grow and explore, and I’m grateful to them both.”