Introducing: our Student Officers for Sustainability
Posted on: 5 October, 2023
Our ambition is to become the world’s most sustainable university and we believe our students are at the heart of our journey to achieve this. Our Student Officers will lead on and support us to deliver sustainability student initiatives, be our critical partner, champion the learner voice and raise awareness of UCEM’s sustainability work to our student community and beyond.
Fortunate Mukombo
Location: Zimbabwe
Programme: BSc Building Surveying
“As a global society we have a lot of learning to do around sustainability and climate change to meet the challenge head on.”
I have been working in the real estate industry for five years now and have always had a passion for collaborating with people. Sustainability is a huge interest of mine, in part because I enjoy discussing cultural, social, environmental, and economic topics and issues. I am particularly interested in how we can transition into a circular economy, considering the six sustainability principles of: rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, repair, and recycle. As a global society, we have a lot of learning to do around sustainability and climate change to meet the challenge head on.
Focusing on sustainability improves the environment, which benefits people’s quality of life. One person can have a significant impact and, in the process, motivate others to act morally.
I am excited to lead on and support UCEM’s sustainability initiatives this year and have the opportunity to work with Donna, students and staff to contribute to UCEM’s sustainability ambitions. I am also looking forward to being part of UCEM’s Responsible Futures Working Group and supporting UCEM’s reaccreditation aims ahead of Summer 2024.
Donna Modesté
Location: United Kingdom
Programme: BSc Quantity Surveying
“As a woman in construction who moved into the industry after working in the beauty business and having a little family, I am passionate about the holistic approach to sustainability, such as reducing inequalities and quality education.”
I’m excited to being in my second year as Student Officer for Sustainability alongside Fortunate. My passion for sustainability began in 2016 after I had my second child. When I started studying BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying at UCEM, I was blown away by the level of sustainability that we cover in each module, even in topics that I never expected such as law, management and digital technology. My studies, participation in the Responsible Futures Working Group and audit in June 2022 and the last academic year as Student Officer has driven my passion even more exponentially than I could have anticipated.
As a woman in construction who moved into the industry after working in the beauty business and having a little family, I am passionate about the holistic approach to sustainability, such as reducing inequalities and quality education.
I am so proud to be a student at UCEM and am delighted to return to the role of Student Officer. I look forward to working with Fortunate over the coming year making sure that each and everything we do includes a call to action for our students and staff.
Our two officers will be in post until next summer and will be supported by Jessica Gordon-Calvert, UCEM’s sustainability education and engagement officer. If you have any questions about sustainability or would like to find out more about ways you can get involved, please email sustainability@ucem.ac.uk.
