Sustainability and Environment students
Sian Hamilton
Bachelor of Business / Bachelor of Sustainability and Environment
Why did you choose to study the Bachelor of Sustainability & Environment?
During my final years of high school, finding ways to make my daily routines and habits sustainable became a hobby. As I read more about the severe issues our planet faces, I decided sustainability needed to be more than my hobby and I chose to pursue it as a career. I chose to study the Bachelor of Sustainability and Environment because of how innovative, well-rounded and hands-on the degree is. I knew that this degree would provide me with a broad understanding of sustainability and inspire passion and purpose.
What has been a highlight of the Sustainability & Environment degree?
The highlight of the Bachelor of Sustainability and Environment degree has been the opportunity to engage with industry and community partners. We have attended an in-class industry panel and a field trip to The Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability. These opportunities have helped me to contextualise and apply the concepts we are discussing in class and begin considering what my career path may look like after I graduate.
What are your plans for after you graduate?
At this stage, I am unsure of the precise career path I would like to pursue; however, I am excited for the opportunity to continue exploring my options throughout the Bachelor of Sustainability & Environment. The industry panel I attended in the first semester of the Bachelor of Sustainability & Environment has helped me to realise that I would like to gain experience in both government and private organisations throughout my career. I would also like to focus on becoming involved in many various aspects of sustainability and to be a life-long learner.
James Ardma
Bachelor of Management (Sport Business) / Bachelor of Sustainability and Environment
Why did you choose to study the Bachelor of Sustainability and Environment?
I was first draw to the bachelor of sustainability and environment when I saw it advertised on the UTS website, alongside my desired degree of management majoring in sports business. After completing high school, with one of my subjects being geography, my love and passion for sustainability grew and my interest in environmentalism surpassed a school setting into tertiary education.
I ultimately chose to study the bachelor of sustainability and environment because of its versatility. There is urgent attention needed within a vast range of industries, calling professionals in sustainability to address unsustainable concerns such as climate change, waste/pollution and daily professional operations. The planet’s environmental boundaries are already being surpassed and without urgent intervention, our resources and environment will deplete without regeneration.
What has been a highlight of the Sustainability and Environment degree?
A highlight for me amidst my studies in this degree would be the guest lectures, particular in week 10 of my first semester focused on career design and decision making within the sustainability industry. It was extremely valuable to hear what employment looked like within this sector, certainly in regard to the integration of sustainability graduates into various industries such as construction, development, technology, planning and governmental departments. These guest lectures were highlights for me as they opened up my eyes to why the notion of sustainability is so important and moreover why job growth inside this industry is set to exponentially rise now and into the future. They also spoke about the experience students can obtain through voluntary and internship opportunities, to gain that industry experience that is quintessential in the 21st century. Programs through companies such as Greenpeace offer students voluntary opportunities, enabling hands-on experience, as well as finding their own specific passions and strengths. This is possible as the sustainability industry is so broad, and this understanding has certainly been a highlight for me.
What are your plans for after you graduate?
Currently, plans for future employment are leaning towards professional work inside industries such as construction and manufacturing which lack sustainable perspectives inside their daily operations. I wish to assist these industries in recognising the importance of environmental awareness and sensitivity, and how the way they provide a service or supply a product has a direct effect on the planet around them, adding to a larger human footprint. In a professional industry, this may look like offering a new perspective, changing a material that is used for a product, altering the nature of a service resulting in a smaller footprint or mentoring others around the idea of sustainable development.
Whilst I am passionate about the management side on my bachelor, in particular marketing, I believe that the bachelor of sustainability and environment leans me towards a professional direction that I hadn’t planned for, but one that is so urgently needed. Post-graduation, I plan to continue to volunteer in and around my neighbourhood, engaging in sustainability activities, learning more about my strengths and leaning towards these areas in later payed employment.
