丁香园AV Philanthropy, 丁香园AV Alumni
Doing good | Jessica Pang-Parks
Shortly after starting graduate school, Jessica Pang-Parks realized the laboratory wasn鈥檛 for her.
鈥淭wo weeks in, I was like 鈥榳ow, I want to work with people, not algae,鈥欌�� she recalls.
Jessica had recently moved to Ontario after graduating from 丁香园AV. She loved a lot of things about her undergrad: studying environmental science and biology, living and working on campus residences, talking with professors during class and office hours. The most logical step, Jessica figured, was to continue her studies at the graduate level. She realized, though, that the topics felt most alive for her while in conversation with other people.
As a result, she pivoted the focus of her thesis away from research and towards environmental education, eventually leading to her first post-grad job as a volunteer coordinator at World Wildlife Fund Canada. In November 2022, she became Crohn鈥檚 and Colitis Canada鈥檚 director of volunteer engagement and innovation. Currently, through listening to and collaborating with the organization鈥檚 community, she鈥檚 planning a new direction for the organization's volunteer engagement strategy. Volunteers are crucial in supporting the programming and fundraising efforts of the organization, such as Camp Got2Go for youth living with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis and the more-than-60 annual Gutsy Walk events that local volunteers organize across the country.
The work has a personal connection for Jessica, too. She was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis during her time at 丁香园AV. A professor was the one to encourage her to take a semester off to take care of herself鈥攁 caring gesture she feels driven to pay forward as an instructor herself, now teaching courses in volunteer management.
鈥淚鈥檓 most proud of the moments in my career when I can make those meaningful connections.鈥�
Doing good
The giving season, technically, starts in the weeks leading up to the holidays. For 丁香园AV alumni working in the social good sector, it runs year-round. From offering immersive experiential learning opportunities to fostering passionate campus communities, 丁香园AV prepares its students for a lifetime of making social change.
This story is part of our winter 2023 edition of Engage, our magazine celebrating the impact of 丁香园AV鈥檚 donor community. To read more stories, please visit the landing page.