Sustainability-Leadership-Awards-17042023-JG-v2.docx
The Sustainability Hub’s new Sustainability Leadership awards recognize outstanding leadership to address climate change, reverse biodiversity loss, shift to circular economies, and create more resilient communities.
Kaitlin Wu, Faculty of Arts, The Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice
- Launched a new social enterprise the ‘Food Hub Market’ – with support from UBC’s Office of Wellbeing Strategy – to promote food security among students.
- Contributed to sustainable food systems through a focus on plant-based protein options, sourcing local foods, and redirecting food waste to campus partners.
- Promoted social sustainability through an empathy and social justice-based approach that makes the market an accessible entry point for all community members.
- Provided mentorship and leadership to over seven student-led research projects.
“The fact that off-campus groups, including other universities, are reaching out to Kaitlin for advice on starting their own version of our Food Hub Market is a testament to the innovation, impact, and reach of her leadership.” – Peer nomination form.
True to GRSJ values and vision, Kaitlin promoted social sustainability through an empathy and social justice-based approach that makes the market an accessible entry point for all community members. She provided mentorship and leadership to over seven student-led research projects.
In April, Kaitlin spoke to a GRSJ interviewer about her life and educational background, with inspiring message to GRSJ students:
Q: Could you please tell us a bit more background about yourself? What is in your background that made you passionate about food security issues?
Kaitlin: I’m currently finishing up my 5th and final year as an undergraduate student at UBC Vancouver majoring in GRSJ. My life has always revolved around food and community as I grew up with my dad who immigrated to Canada with nothing and worked his way from being a dishwasher to a chef to ensure he’d always have food available. I’ve always found his story very inspiring and it has impacted me greatly in the way I value food and community support. I’ve never known exactly what direction I wanted to pursue for my future career. However, I viewed going to university as more of an educational foundation for not only understanding the world better but also myself. Ever since I took GRSJ 101 in my first year, I knew that this was important work and areas of discussion and I was quickly drawn to it. I joined the UBC Arts Co-op program and in my final year at UBC, was lucky enough to be placed with the office of Wellbeing Strategy at UBC where I became Student Director of the Food Hub Market – an at-cost grocery store on campus. Finally, I found a way for my family history, values, and learnings to all come together in creating a space where I could directly help people in my community.
Q: What inspired you to design and launch the Food Market Hub at UBC?
Kaitlin: Seeing my fellow peers struggle with accessing affordable food at UBC over the course of my undergraduate degree has inspired me to take further action and use my privilege to create real tangible change. Having first-hand experience as a UBC student, it is easier for me to understand the barriers students face as they navigate leaving home for the first time, transitions in personal development, changes in living conditions, mental health related challenges, and trying to find suitable resources for support. I carry these with me as I attempted to be as intentional and detail-oriented as possible when creating the market space. With the AMS Foodbank seeing over a 500% increase in users over the past 2 years, we needed to alleviate the pressure by focusing around harm reduction and prevention as opposed to solely being an emergency benefit or “band aid solution.” When a Psychology student came to us with research showcasing how strongly stigma is tied to accessing resources such as the Food Bank, we learned that when people pay a little bit of money for their food, stigma would be reduced significantly. Thus, the challenge of creating an at-cost grocery store for the entire community was cultivated! The order guide we created for the space has versatile ingredients to make a large selection of recipes and we put inspiration to our favourite dishes on recipe cards around the store. Alongside this, we worked hard to ensure we were catering to international students who may be navigating a North American grocery store for the first time. In this way, we tried our best to supply culturally diverse ingredients such as fish sauce, palm sugar, tandoori rice, halloumi, and much more.
Q: How did your Bachelor of Arts degree program in Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice prepare you for this leadership role at UBC and beyond? Kaitlin: In my studies as a GRSJ student, I’ve learned many valuable skills tightly tied to active listening, using my voice, uplifting voices that are commonly silenced, acknowledging my own privileges, and moving through the world with empathy. I try my best to view everything with an intersectional lens and with the intentions of reducing harm as much as possible. The class-based discussions in almost all of my GRSJ classes have allowed me to develop my ideas better, stay open to other perspectives, and think more critically. My professors have inspired me to stand up for what I believe is right and to take up space when doing so. I’m very grateful to have learned from experts in my field around the many multi-layered issues we face disproportionately in the world. I will carry these learnings with me as I continue on in the future.
Q: How are you feeling now after receiving this major recognition for your work? What are your future career and life plans?
Kaitlin: From seeing this project succeed and fill a deep need for affordable and accessible food in the UBC community, I am over the moon! The interactions I have with people who come through the space every day mean the world to me. Many students told me this space has saved them while struggling with the high cost of living in Vancouver. It is heartwarming to see the space’s impact not only on people who are able to access nutritious fresh ingredients, but also its impact on one’s overall wellbeing. My peers express stress and anxiety reduction as they come into a warm and welcoming environment, without having to worry about their next meal. This is very challenging work, but it is very rewarding and motivating to see the impact it has on people’s wellbeing. I do not have a clear future career plan. However, I do know that community building and planning is something I cherish deeply and so I hope to move forward with an open mind and new perspectives that I can share in whatever future roles I take on.
Q: What advice would you give other UBC students interested in following this pathway you have created and pursued? Kaitlin: Stay open minded and present yourself to the world as authentically as possible. When you put good energy out, it’ll be returned to you and others will be inspired by your work. Don’t be afraid to take risks and follow what you know is the right thing to do. Reach out to people who inspire you and ask questions! Stay curious and always strive to learn more and do better for the people around you while staying present, patient, resilient, and kind to yourself.
