Sanofi Pasteur Award

Greetings and gratitude to the Foundation and its generous donors!  My name is Jess and I am a long-time resident of Northern British Columbia.  I earned my Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2003 and have made public health my professional focus.  After several years of working as a front-line public health nurse, I decided to further my education by pursuing graduate studies.  My passions include ecological issues, social justice, and community development and I am thrilled to be completing a Masters of Science in Community Health at the University of Northern British Columbia that allows me to integrate these interests.  My thesis examines environmental activism as a form of health promotion and I am looking at the case of Haida Gwaii, BC, and opposition towards the proposed Northern Gateway Project. I currently reside in beautiful Masset, BC, where I am conducing my fieldwork and enjoying the splendours of island living.  Alongside my professional practice as an RN and my studies, I am involved in the environmental/social justice movement, advocating for the clean, sustainable, and equitable resources that we need to survive (i.e. air, water, food, fuel, etc.).  When I’m not working, I enjoy the outdoors, traveling, and many artistic endeavours.