My Story - Good Choice Initiative
Hi! My name’s Noelle and I would consider myself an eco-citizen. I’ve spent most of my childhood living abroad in countries like Argentina and India, but Ottawa is and always has been home. Only a one hour drive away, our family cottage in La Pêche, Quebec is where I spent most of the day outside, swimming in the lake. Today, it is where I disconnect from the city and reconnect with nature.
With a degree in Geography from Queen’s University, I’m passionate about sustainability and community development. I’ve studied tropical ecology in Costa Rica and benefited from an internship in environmental education in Honduras, working alongside local NGOs on conservation and environmental education projects.
On the island of Utila, I learned to scuba dive and fell (more) in love with the ocean. My dream is to one day see a whale shark in its natural habitat… I even got a bamboo tattoo of this gentle giant in Thailand as a daily reminder of this personal lifetime goal.
I’ve worked close to a decade supporting social and environmental projects in Canada and abroad, particularly working on international sponsorship programs, organizing networking events for Francophone newcomers to Canada to find employment and on business development at Fairtrade Canada, where I learned about standards of sustainable production and transparency in the supply chain.
That’s when I started to ask myself where and how the products I was purchasing were made, and under what conditions.
In October of 2018, I took a leap of faith and decided to leave a job and life I loved in Toronto behind for the opportunity to experience more of the world. I had the chance to travel for 8 months in Central America, South East Asia and Europe. Some of my favourite countries included Mexico, Philippines, Vietnam, Laos and Indonesia, but all of them had their own charm. I visited and explored incredible temples, caves, waterfalls, elephant and tarsier sanctuaries, an orangutan rehabilitation centre, rice fields, volcanoes, mountains, ancient ruins, islands, beaches, coral reefs and the jungle, all of which deserve to be preserved.I carried a 25 kg backpack of basic clothes and necessities, and realized that I didn’t need anything more than what I already had with me. I’d even forgotten about most of the clothes and other belongings that were waiting for me back home.
I learned that the best way to get to know yourself better is through travel and exposure to many different situations: with time and reflection, you gain clarity on your values, what you care about and what you stand for.
