These in-their-own-words pieces are told to Patricia Lane and co-edited with input from the interviewee for the purpose of brevity.

Melody Li is designing her own path toward a fairer, more climate-adaptive future. The 25-year-old Markham, Ontario, resident has pursued internships, fellowships and grants that allow her to explore more meaningful work in the nonprofit/charitable sector. At the time of writing, she is working full-time assisting the director of communications at Sierra Club Canada. In 2026, she will focus on her own project, Meals That Matter, helping people in vulnerable and marginalized communities see food that would otherwise be wasted can be redirected to provide delicious, culturally appropriate and climate-friendly meals — while keeping food out of landfills.

Tell us about your approach.

There is no obvious roadmap for building a career that addresses the climate crisis while advancing fairness. In 2021, as I prepared to graduate with a science degree from the University of Toronto, a professor mentioned ECO Canada. With only the information on their website, I applied for and was pre-approved for wage funding through their Science Horizons Youth Internship Program. I then needed a position, so I contacted several organizations aligned with my interests before joining the 

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