Representing CBU in Ontario: Meet Emma Lambert

With CBU growing at a rapid rate, our campus community is expanding to include employees working across Canada and beyond. Emma Lambert is the Recruitment and Engagement Specialist for the Ontario market, a role which involves increasing the University’s presence in Ontario through community outreach, strategic partnerships and events and relationship development, especially targeting potential students who are considering post-secondary education.

Born in the United Kingdom, Emma has lived in a number of different cities in Canada throughout her life, but feels most at home in Kingston, where she is currently based. She began working with the University in September of 2022 and says she relished the incredible energy that greeted her. “I love talking to students and stakeholders about our innovative programs, competitive athletics teams, hands-on learning opportunities on the Island and the welcoming, diverse campus at CBU,” says Emma.

Emma says her experience working with CBU over the past several months has been wonderful. “I’ve been able to be on the ground in Ontario, learning what today’s prospective students face and what they want for their post-secondary education experience,” she says. “I’m really enjoying learning about CBU’s wide range of program offerings, experiential learning opportunities and student support services so that I can speak about them when meeting with prospective students. I’ve also been able to spend time in Cape Breton further experiencing the local culture and campus community which really helps me to authentically share all that our school and Island have to offer future students.”

Emma is excited about taking hold of opportunities in the Ontario market, where she feels CBU can become a leader and innovator among Canadian universities. “What I’m enjoying most so far is being part of CBU’s commitment to innovation, capacity building and bold strategic management as we work to advance the University’s impact on our communities and country in new ways,” she says.

While her role primarily involves building relationships with prospective students, Emma also works closely with the Alumni and Athletics departments at CBU, and is enthusiastic about increasing their presence in Ontario.

Before joining the team at CBU, Emma had visited Cape Breton for both previous work and personal travel, and it was during this time that she fell in love with the community and the landscape. Previously, Emma worked in marketing for Canadian Tire Corporation and executed fan engagement initiatives for organizations such as MLSE and Canada Games. She has also led fundraising events in communities across Canada with an organization called motionball for the Special Olympics. It was through this experience she first travelled to Cape Breton and had her primary experience with the CBU community. This played a role in her decision to take up a position with CBU. 

Emma was encouraged by her friends and family to apply for the job, and says she didn’t look back. “In meeting the rest of the team and learning more about all the exciting, innovative things happening at CBU – the deal was sealed,” she reflects. “It was, and still is, a really exciting time to join team CBU and I’m so glad I took the leap!”

Emma has an undergraduate degree in Physical and Health Education from Queen’s University and a post-graduate certificate in Marketing from George Brown College. “While studying in both programs, I was able to identify that my passions lie in bringing people together and understanding how events, sports, cultures, education and causes allow for community growth,” Emma shares. 

 Outside work, Emma keeps busy by spending time with family and friends. She is also a huge sports fan. “I love to attend live sports whenever possible, play beach volleyball, be near the water, and I try to take a spin class everywhere I travel,” says Emma. “I really enjoy trying new restaurants and finding new local breweries in different parts of the country(but Breton Brewing is always #1 in my heart). I still volunteer with motionball and with community sport organizations as I really believe in the power that sport has to bring people together and to improve our communities.” 

Emma says she feels very lucky to be a part of the team at CBU, and we can confidently say the feeling is mutual. We are so fortunate to have skillful and enthusiastic employees like Emma on our team.