Justin Chan

Background

About Justin Chan

Many, many years ago when I was in kindergarten, our teacher organized an outdoor activity where the class would be given the opportunity to plant some marigolds in the small garden beds at the front of the school. This was the first time in my life that I was introduced to the world of plants, seeds, gardening, and soil. There was something about it that mesmerized me as a kid; contemplating,"How could just burying something that looked like a small pebble, dousing it in water, and given enough time/sunlight, could sprout into something so adorably green and small?". Perhaps it was just the novelty of having these cute little ceramic pots whilst growing cute little flowers that caught my interest as a child, but that tiny spark of curiosity and excitement is something I still hold on to this day. Like many others, as I grew up, I tried to figure out where my place is in this world; what did I want to do for the rest of my life? Or perhaps, what was my passion and how do I go about pursuing it? I never truly had an idea until my last year of post-secondary school; having spent my time at York University's Environmental Studies program under the Environmental Management and Sustainability stream, I was able to find an opportunity to get involved with our very own on-campus community garden, and it was from there I was able to rediscover my green thumb.