Vanessa Aase (law)
As an individual living with invisible disabilities, law co-op student Vanessa Aase is a champion for equity, diversity and inclusion. She recently brought her unique lived experience to work as a procurement and contract researcher for the Finance & Corporate Services with the Ministry of Children and Family Development, where she actively incorporated an EDI lens to make positive change.
“I did my best to bring EDI values into my work in risk management,” says Vanessa. “It’s vital that organizations expand who they bring to the table in these discussions to ensure everyone’s needs are met, and to consider how decisions impact a wide range of stakeholders.”
A UVic Changemaker Award recipient
Vanessa is one of the inaugural recipients of the , which celebrate co-op students who have made significant contributions to their workplace, community and/or to their own personal learning.
Vanessa was awarded the 2024 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award, which recognizesstudents who have actively contributed towards Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) initiatives during their work term.
Identifying power imbalances in policy
For Vanessa, this included developing a research report, presentation and checklist for ministry employees to follow around risk management best practices.
The report highlighted how power imbalances and organizational cultures that don’t champion EDI create an environment where people hesitate to identify risk out of fear that their concerns with affect their perceived job performance. Normalizing EDI in these frequently overlooked spaces helps ensure EDI is not simply a compliance issue but a core organizational value.
“Ensuring EDI is effectively implemented in my work stream and larger organization is an essential goal that relates to the advocacy I undertake in my community and the values I champion in life,” says Vanessa. “This work is critical, and I am glad that I have been given the opportunity to emphasize EDI in areas where it often can go overlooked, especially concerning corporate operations and finance.”
Embracing opportunities for professional growth
Vanessa also embraced opportunities for further learning during her work term by participating in sessions on the topics of addressing discrimination in the workplace, anti-racism in the BC public services, diversity and inclusion essentials, gender-based analysis, and building capacity in Indigenous relations.
Learn more
Learn more about the Changemaker awards and the ways that UVic co-op students are making a real difference.
- More about law co-op
- How to hire a co-op student