Nicole Piercey
Account Executive at Juniper ParkTBWA
Bachelor in Environmental Studies 2011
"The environment is a growing field"
About Nicole Piercey
While alumna Nicole Piercey’s career path might not have an obvious flow, she can tie a common thread of following her passions and a theme of public education and environmental outreach through it all.
Piercey had originally applied to Education at York U and was offered Environmental Studies as an alternate when she didn’t get in.
“I didn’t know what to think about it at first,” Piercey said. “But I talked to a peer counselor who explained that it was a good program for someone with diverse interests like me. In your first year you can take a wide range of courses and then get more specific after that. My parents encouraged me to consider it too. They both have environmental careers and told me the environment is a growing field.
“Before I started I thought I might even transfer to another faculty but it turns out FES was perfect for me. I loved the range of courses I could take and am thrilled with the way everything turned out.”
In her first job with Metrolinx’s Smart Commute program she saw her goals of educating the public come to fruition. Smart Commute is dedicated to reducing traffic emissions through promoting transit and alternatives like carpooling and cycling. She worked in both outreach and marketing, gaining experience in both in-person one-on-one awareness building and amplifying the Smart Commute message though mass and social media channels.
“It was very cool.”
Next her passion for travel took her to EF Education Tours, a company that sells travel packages to school groups, including service tours where the travelers make a local impact around ecological or social issues.
“These students would be able to help build schools in South America or assist with a community’s water walk in Africa,” Piercey said. “What an amazing opportunity to learn and travel at the same time. I hope I can do a trip like that someday.”
Now Piercey is an Account Executive the Juniper ParkTBWA advertising agency, doing project management and assigned to brands she loves like EOS lip balm and hand cream and Ogx shampoo and conditioner.
“These products are trying to offer a more natural option to a wider audience,” said Piercey. “It’s really exciting being involved with brands that I personally use as they are gaining momentum around the world.
“It was my environmental background that gave me the advantage in applying for this position. While in some ways it is a pivot for me to move into a more corporate environment, my public education and environmental advocacy passions are still alive for me at Juniper Park.”
She credits FES for opening her mind to finding a fit for herself in so many different situations. She sampled the diversity of the program and encourages incoming students to do the same.
“I was lucky that someone encouraged me to branch out and try as many types of courses as possible,” Piercey said. “The interdisciplinary nature of the courses is one of FES’s major strengths. You may think you’re interested in planning but try culture. Enjoy the process. You can always bring elements from one to another.”
For her, the end result of all that experimentation is a degree she is proud of and a diverse skillset that gives her the confidence to pursue a wide variety of jobs she finds interesting.
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