Round-the-clock cable news coverage of weather disasters, floods and forest fires doesn't make Anastacia Chartrand feel depressed or helpless.
The disturbance in daily lives caused by the COVID-19 pandemic forced Chartrand, an advertising and marketing specialist, to re-evaluate her priorities and goals. Later this month, Chartrand will receive a master degree in Science Communications. She completed a bachelor degree in Environmental Studies in 2022, graduating magna cum laude.She served as chair of the university's Environmental Sustainability Committee and was vice-president of advocacy for the Graduate Student Association. She also worked as a graduate research assistant, and volunteered for community groups that focused on water and land conservation.
In April 2022, Chartrand was the head organizer of the Earth Day march at Laurentian which attracted more than 100 young people. "Sharing the success of Sudbury's landscape restoration on the final day of the COP15 conference was an inspiring message of hope for delegates as they headed home to implement strategies of their own.”
She had a short conversation with the 90-year-old role model about the Green Leaf of Hope campaign, one of Environmental Sustainability Committee's project.