Kate Morsink, a dedicated power woman and a student at Columbia University, is the winner of the 2022 Sustainability Scholarship awarded by finduddannelse.dk
We are pleased to announce that Kate Morsink as this years winner. She will receive €5,000 towards her tuition fees at her Master in Sustainability Management on the prestigious Columbia University.
Learn more about Kate and why she has won the scholarship in the video. You can also read the interview with her below.
Watch the interview here:
Interview with Kate
What kickstarted your interest in business and sustainability?
Reading Naomi Klein’s This Changes Everything, shifted my world-view of the status quo of our political economies and civil society constructs. As a result, I have dedicated my life to working as a bridge between business and the environment to create new models that work in harmony with natural systems.
Why have you chosen to study a Master in Sustainability Management?
During my undergrad, I became involved in my business school’s Center for Social Impact where I supplemented my commerce curriculum with classes and conferences on corporate social responsibility. Over the course of my professional career, I have made a significant impact within the organization and its community. I now want to make an impact on a global scale and I believe getting a Master’s in Sustainability Management will equip me with the knowledge and expertise to do so.
My love of learning has always propelled me to pursue furthering my education and substantiveknowledge in sustainability. I am pursuing a Master’s degree in Sustainability Management for its diversityof dialogue; learning from fundamental theories of circularity to the multi-faceted approach of rigorousinquiry of our capitalist paradigms. I hope to examine how Circular Economy (CE) thinking can be appliedacross industries to create new solutions that render our outdated economic models moot.
How have you worked with circular economy and sustainability?
I was introduced to the concept of the CE when researching alternative packaging for Tealeaves, a luxury tea company. In my role as a Business Development Associate, I saw an opportunity to champion sustainable practices. I spent my spare time researching and exploring ways to transition the company to environmentally friendly practices. Through well-founded evidence, I advocated for environmental stewardship as a strategic imperative. As a result of my efforts, Tealeaves transitioned to sustainable and circular packaging and sourcing practices, and has joined an industrial symbiosis project in Vancouver to eliminate food waste. In addition, the company has embraced partnerships with philanthropic partners and created open-source documentaries on biodiversity and food sustainability.
Where do you see yourself in the future?
In the future, the role of Chief Sustainability Officer will be as crucial as that of CFO or CMO. I intend to be a key driver of that evolution throughout the global business community. I believe obtaining my Master’s in Sustainability Management will accelerate my impact to design a new equilibrium between non-state actors, the government and its citizens that restores our damaged environment.
What do you do now?
This summer I was chosen as one of 150 graduate students out of over 1500 applicants to be an Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps Fellow. As a fellow, I was paired with the Fortune 500 company, Wayfair, where I worked on circular, sustainable supply-chain strategy, calculated their packaging baseline and created their sustainable packaging roadmap. The impact of my work resulted in me being awarded the Collaboration Award by the Environmental Defense Fund (non monetary).
At Columbia, I am currently serving the student community as the Director of Engagement for Columbia's Women & Sustainability Committee. I am also working as a graduate consultant (pro-bono) for a circular startup incubator and on a project with a foundation to protect forests and prevent deforestation.
Watch Kate's reaction on being this year's winner here:
Finalists & Winner 2022 | This year's top-4 | Last years winner
