Astronomy outreach plays a critical role in the promotion of scientific careers due to its unique ability to inspire interest not just in space, but in science as a whole. For thousands of years, the night sky has inspired wonder in humanity, and that inspiration can act as a gateway to the rest of the scientific community. We as astronomers therefore have an incredibly important role as scientific ambassadors, and giving back to the community through outreach programs is critical to us fulfilling that role. ​

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I have been involved with astronomy outreach even before the start of my academic career, joining the leadership of the UBC Astronomy club  and becoming President in my second year. Aided by my background in amateur astronomy, I lead a significant expansion in the club's public stargazing events, including dark sky observing events, allowing many people to see the Milky Way for the first time, and more than doubling membership in the process. I then served in a more advisory role for the last two years of my degree, which included educational visits to local elementary schools. During my PhD, observations of the night sky and educational outreach at schools continued to be my primary outreach activities. Now that I am a postdoc at the University of Toronto, I am involved in the AstroTours program, primarily as a telescope operator, and also volunteer for Astronomy on Tap Toronto.