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It’s been four years since Rhea Tailor moved from her home country of Zambia to study environmental science at SFU — but Tailor says it doesn’t feel like it.

“The years have flown by so quickly,” reflects the new bachelor of science grad, who is preparing for convocation this October.

Tailor says she knew that she wanted to study environmental science when it was time for her to apply to university, and her parents were supportive.

Growing up, they took her on many outdoor adventures, where she saw beautiful natural and remote places, but also how human activity was negatively affecting the environment. “I wanted to learn what I could do to improve that,” she says.

During her studies, one of the classes she enjoyed most, a class on plastic pollution with environmental science professor Anna Hippman, hit particularly close to home due to the prevalence of plastic pollution in Zambia, she says. “As a child, it was the most obvious and visible form of environmental degradation — the image of heaps of plastic being burnt on the roadside is still a vivid memory.”

If her time at SFU has felt a bit like a whirlwind, it might be because Tailor has kept busy getting involved on campus. Over the course of her degree, she volunteered with her Faculty as a mentor for new students, with her student union, the EVSCSU, where she served as co-president over the past year, and with Embark Sustainability Society’s Food Rescue Program.

“Every week, I picked up grocery store produce (which would otherwise be thrown out) and gave it out to students and community members, while engaging with them on food justice topics,” Tailor says about her work with Embark.

She also joined SFU’s River Dynamic Lab as a research assistant, where she identified and mapped bedrock features using GIS software and continues to work with a graduate student on flume experiments.

Off-campus, Tailor got her first taste of a full-time job when she completed a co-op with a Tseil-Waututh Nation company called Inlailawatash.

During her co-op, she worked as a GIS technician, using skills she picked up from her certificate in geographic information science to work with their team on cultural use mapping.

 “I enjoyed getting to know the team at Inlailawatash and hearing about their career journeys,” she says. “My manager was especially involved in getting to know me. She shared her advice and tips, and gave me opportunities to learn about departments in the company that I might be interested in. For example, I got to help the ecosystem services team do some restoration work on a channel boundary and learned about the kind of work they do.”

Tailor says that opportunities like her co-op, research and volunteer work were extremely valuable to her student experience. “They played a big part in the connections I made with students, staff, and faculty in the Faculty of Environment. I got to work with a diverse group of people and gained skills along the way that have made me a better student, leader and young professional.”

Among all the communities she found a place in, Tailor says the one that made her feel most at home throughout her student journey was SFU’s Multifaith Centre. “My four years in university have included the highest of highs and lowest of lows in my personal life, and I could not have made it through those without my faith community,” she says. “These friends have become family…While I realize that not everyone has a faith background, I believe that every person needs a community they feel welcomed and supported by.”

While Tailor is still getting used to the feeling of being finished her undergraduate degree, the former mentor still has some words of encouragement for new and returning students:

“Get involved,” she says. “Whether that is volunteering with a club or group, joining the student union, or reaching out to professors for research opportunities, I want to stress how great it can be! It is the best way to find your people, build connections, and have experiences that may even help you find what you are really passionate about.