Originally published in the Ottawa Citizen
When, in her role as a sustainability consultant, Jane Porter assists companies and organizations identify risks or implement social, environmental and economic opportunities, she does so with a foundation from the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University’s Bachelor of International Business (BIB) program.
“As part of this program, you go abroad for a year, and I really wanted the cultural experience,” says Porter of the offering’s international opportunity, which sees students develop proficiency in another language and gain cross-cultural skills. “I had this idea of living around the world and using my international business background to help companies be more sustainable.”
These goals set Porter off to another global destination, Finland, to complete her master’s degree in corporate environmental management. She says Sprott not only offered her a strong, comprehensive business education but also served as a launching pad for further education. In fact, Porter says Sprott’s well-connected advisers played a role in helping her to find the perfect master’s program to suit her business aspirations.
Linda Schweitzer is the dean of Sprott School of Business. She says the type of community spirit, experiential learning and cutting-edge knowledge Porter experienced are staples of the school’s approach.
“Sprott teaches business and we teach it well,” she says. “At the same time, we are a highly caring and connected community that not only cares about your education but also your well-being and the well-being of the world around us. So, even in the classroom we don’t take the cutthroat approach; we take a caring and connected approach.”
An actively involved student during her time at Sprott, Porter, who graduated in 2007, was a member of the Sprott Business Students’ Society, competed and won business competitions, and took full advantage of the supportive community.
“Being involved in the community really makes your university experience,” she says. “Sprott honestly embraces its students, and that’s such a positive memory.”
Since graduating, Porter has stayed connected to her alma mater by previously serving on the BIB advisory committee and helping to launch Impact Hub Ottawa (a community and co-working space for people working to create meaningful change) alongside a team that included other Carleton grads. Most recently, the organization hosted a summit on how to reach sustainable goals, which she says Sprott helped to sponsor.
“Sprott’s caring approach makes sense because the next generation increasingly wants to work for and create companies that are making money but are also improving the world,” she says.