Executive of the Month of October: Caitlyn Chen

We’re proud to highlight Caitlyn Chen, our executive of the month for October!

“Hi everyone! I’m Caitlyn, and I’m currently a Grade 11 IB student at Bayview Secondary School. At HNP, I’m part of events and administration where I work behind the scenes to plan the initiatives that bring our community together for a strong environmental cause. I’m super passionate about fostering a sense of shared purpose and can’t wait for all the more to come at HNP!"

When asked how she got involved with HNP, she stated “It all started with an Instagram post my friend showed me. I thought it would be a solid chance to gain volunteer hours and give back to the environment. Hitting two birds with one stone sounded great to me. Now that I look back, I can’t imagine how else I would have grown to learn so much about NPOs, professionalism, and community. Most importantly, seeing expansion on my own tangible impact on the environment.” She also shares what she is looking forward to the most at HNP: “Though I may have some bias towards my own department, I’m genuinely super excited to see the future events that HNP will host. Especially with being able to see us grow as an organization to create a larger impact to a larger community.”

Recently, Caitlyn and her team organized impactful events like a community clean-up and invasive species removal. Currently, they are preparing reports that showcase the success, statistics, and impact of HNP’s 2024 events. Caitlyn states how the community at HNP is favorite part of her experience so far: “The community! With such a large team, it’s impressive to see how connections can still be made so seamlessly professionally and personally. It’s great to see the efforts put in by members not just towards our mission, but to connect with each other.”

One environmental issue that Caitlyn finds especially important is water pollution. She was introduced to this topic in Grade 7 through a school project, which opened her eyes to the serious challenges around clean water access. “Clean water access is a crucial fundamental human right, but contamination from industrial waste, plastics, and agricultural runoff continues to jeopardize it. Addressing this issue has the potential to have a wide-ranging positive impact, helping ecosystems and ensuring that individuals and communities can thrive without being constantly threatened by contaminated water.”

Fun Fact: When she’s not driving environmental impact at HNP, Caitlyn loves working with kids as a swim instructor!

Thank you Caitlyn for all your dedication and hard work towards HNP!