Catching Up with Karina Shnaiderman

Karina Shnaiderman graduated from Ryerson in 2018 with a BA in Environment and Urban Sustainability and is now purusing a Masters in Environmental Studies at another institution. During her time at Ryerson, Karina worked as a Research Assistant contributing to a study on Canadian festivals and sustainability. In this post, you can hear from Karina about her adventures and educational experiences she's had over the past few years.

What were the highlights of your time working at the Institute?

I had a great time working at the HTM Research Institute, but my most memorable highlights were the people I worked with, and getting to attend a folk festival for a research project which focused on sustainability at Canadian festivals (conducted by Dr. Rachel Dodds). I was lucky to be working alongside brilliant undergraduate students and learning from them and Dr. Dodds was an experience I’ll always be grateful for.

What else were you involved with outside of research during your time at Ryerson?

As an Environment and Urban Sustainability (opens in new window)  (EUS) major, I was a student liaison for the EUS Student Association and made promotional materials for our events and social media outlets. Outside of Ryerson however, I spent a lot of time foraging for wild edibles in the city, was part of a sailing club, and enjoyed bird watching – basically spent as much time as I could outside!

Tell us about what you have done since graduating Ryerson?

Since graduating, I’ve worked as an environmental educator, community garden supervisor, and held various positions on farms. But work aside, I scuba dived in Indonesia, drove through a snowstorm in Iceland, got lost in Tokyo, stood at the edge of an active volcano in Nicaragua (just to list off a few travel highlights). I also attended several environmental and farming conferences and networking events, both in Canada and in the United States, which greatly altered the trajectory of my career path. Also – I started grad school!

How does research play a role in your life currently?

I am currently working towards my Masters in Environmental Studies, so research is pretty front and centre these days! I am about to go into the final year of my program and will begin writing my thesis this upcoming September. I have spent my summer gathering materials and sources for my research while working as a farm apprentice and learning directly from fellow farmers and various academics within my field. I hope to go on to do a PhD in time, so research will stick around with me for a while.

How has your experience working at the Institute informed or influenced your career and education so far? 

Although my career path has moved away from sustainable tourism, I have applied many aspects exposed to me at the institute into my current work such as sustainable business development, policy management within varying governmental levels, and of course, research methods and practices. I am also able to make the connections between different industries and how they interact with one another (ex. hospitality x agriculture x international trade) as a result of these varied work experiences.

What advice would you give to future Research Assistants to find success during and beyond their contracts at the Institute?

Something I wish I could go back and tell myself is to find balance, and not to be afraid to ask for help. Especially during their undergrad, many students feel pressure to do the most, be the best, and bite off more than they can chew, which can lead to burn out and a loss of motivation. The faculty working at the HTM Institute are some of the greatest minds out there and have more than likely been in a similar position before. They are there to help you succeed and gain skills as a researcher.

Explore your strengths and weaknesses! Try everything out but recognize if something isn’t working and explore ways to make research more suitable for you, while still working towards your desired results. Conducting research isn’t a one-type-fits-all process, but once you find your rhythm it can be really exciting and fulfilling.  

Editor's Note: Karina maintains a website with incredible photos of her travels, farming, and more. Make sure to check out her work at www.karinashnaiderman.com (external link, opens in new window)