Here’s how three graduates are carving paths in emerging industries

Seeding the food supply of the future. Catching criminals with modelling and analytics. Today, there’s a whole new world of career paths that weren’t available several years ago.

But there’s no textbook track when it comes to forging a career path in an exciting emerging field. Here’s how three grads say Seneca Polytechnic helped them carve their way in three dynamic—and still developing—industries.

Brandon Hebor, Sustainable Business Management

For Brandon Hebor, enrolling in Seneca’s Sustainable Business Management graduate certificate program provided more than an education. Seneca has become his launchpad for creating new models for sustainable urban farming—or what Hebor believes can be the food supply of the future.

“The amazing thing about my experience at Seneca was the very small class size. I was able to very closely connect with a number of my professors outside of the context of the course work,” he says. “They provided me with direct experience and a real understanding of what the trends were moving towards with regards to sustainability and what opportunities to look for. I was actually hired by one of my professors to do some part-time work.”

Also pivotal for Hebor were the opportunities he found on campus, both in terms of inspiration and to gain the practical knowledge he’d need to bring his ideas to life.

“I became really involved in the general community on campus. Then through the Seneca HELIX program, which is an incubator for businesses, I learned how to take my entrepreneurial ideas and put them to work,” he says.

Today, as founder of Boreal Farms, an agricultural-technology enterprise, he’s focusing on paving the way to new sources of farming—and to helping Seneca seed a new generation of sustainability-minded entrepreneurs.

“I work with student groups and work on initiatives based on food security around campus,” he says. “I’ve hired a number of Seneca students. Seneca has been really good to me—so now I want to leverage my experience and relationships to help others grow.”

Ashleigh Aliberti, Cosmetic Science

“Going all the way back to elementary school, I’ve always loved cosmetics and always knew I wanted to do something in the beauty industry,” says Ashleigh Aliberti.

But while a love of math and science pushed her to pursue an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering, coming out of her program, Aliberti couldn’t see a clear path to achieving her dreams. “What I didn’t know was how small the beauty industry is and how challenging it can be to get into this space,” she says.

After doing some research, Aliberti discovered the Cosmetic Science program at Seneca Polytechnic—and her search ended there. For Aliberti, the combination of hands-on experience and access to industry experts paved the way to the career she always wanted.

Today, she works as Manager, Beauty ESG Initiatives at Shoppers Drug Mart focusing on optimizing the sustainability of the drugstore chain’s cosmetic brands, a role that also utilizes her passion—and the focus of her undergraduate degree—for sustainability.

“Truly, I owe it all to Seneca,” she says. “When I got into the field and started working, I didn’t feel like a fish out of water. Seneca gave me the tools I needed—I felt very confident and was able to be in the moment and be excited about the work.”

Kristal Moore, Police Foundations and Honours Bachelor of Crime & Intelligence Analysis

Growing up, there was one thing Kristal Moore knew for certain: she wanted a career in law enforcement.

“A lot of my dad’s side of the family works in law enforcement, so I’ve always wanted to go that route,” she says. “I grew up watching Criminal Minds, CSI, all those shows.”

But after completing a diploma program in Police Foundations, she realized she wanted more. Moore began working in the automotive industry—until an email from Seneca Polytechnic announcing their new Honours Bachelor of Crime Intelligence and Analysis degree program changed everything. “I didn’t know what opportunities were out there,” she says. “I thought I’d take a leap of faith and see what happened. It was probably the best decision of my life.”

For Moore, Seneca Polytechnic opened whole new avenues of learning how to use analytical techniques and technology to help solve crimes.

“The program really opened up doors for me,” she says. “For my co-op term, I got to work with the OPP. They hired three of us as actual analysts.”

Today, Moore works full-time as a police analyst while completing a master’s degree in Public Safety on the side. “Now I get to hire a contract student from Seneca this spring for their work term,” she says. “It’s full circle to me. Now I get to show someone what it’s like to be a police analyst in the real world.”

For more information on how Seneca Polytechnic drives ambition, click here. 

The post Here’s how three graduates are carving paths in emerging industries appeared first on Macleans.ca.