Trent Alum Leads Winning Envirothon Team to Success
Elizabeth Straszynski '88 leads University of Toronto Schools (UTS) team to first place finish among 53 teams from across North America
When Biochemistry and Molecular Biology graduate, Elizabeth Straszynski ’88, returned to her alma mater earlier this summer, she made international headlines – coaching the University of Toronto Schools (UTS) team to a first place finish at the 2016 North American Envirothon competition.
Envirothon, a team-based natural resource and environmental competition that brings together high school students across Canada, the United States, and China, was held at the Symons Campus from July 24-29.
Ms. Straszynski translates a passion for the outdoors and environmental education to teaching, inspiring a care for the environment in her students. For Ms. Straszynski, escaping to the outdoors is an integral part of who she is. “The way I recharge is spending time outside, and I like showing that to kids,” she shares, adding that her love for Envirothon stems from the authentic, holistic experience it offers to students.
Drawn to the natural landscapes and outdoorsy feel that Trent University offers to students, Ms. Straszynski loved her time spent at Trent. As both an Envirothon coach and university instructor, the intimate, one on one approach to learning that she received at Trent has followed her into her working career. “That experience working one on one with professors, the small class sizes, and the small lab sizes I experienced at Trent really helped me.”