Sept. 16, 2024

A recent student event at Newnham Campus displayed both the latest in personal care innovation and the benefits of connecting students and employers.

Students in the Cosmetic Science program brought a close to their time at Seneca on Aug. 20 by presenting the results of their capstone projects. Students spent 14 weeks developing formulations, packaging and marketing campaigns for their industry partners, a group mostly composed of Indigenous-owned personal care companies.

Representatives from those businesses also attended the event and later, lauded the students for their creativity, positive attitudes and technical skills.

“Working with the talented and wonderful students was an enriching and rewarding experience,” said Denyse Nadon, founder and president of partner company Tribalure, “We look forward to future collaborations with Seneca Polytechnic and are confident that the next generation of cosmetic industry professionals is in good hands.”

Tribalure had tasked its team of students with developing an exfoliating cleanser that incorporates wild blueberries – an ingredient that is harvested from the lands of the Apitipi Anicinapek Nation, Ms. Nadon’s community.

Ms. Nadon praised the six students she worked with for their eagerness to learn about traditional Algonquin practices and ensure that their creation would be sustainable by focusing on eco-friendly and ethically-sourced ingredients.

“The students' ability to adapt to the needs of the project was particularly commendable, showing flexibility in navigating challenges while maintaining a high level of professionalism,” she said.

For Cheyanne Sihota-Hutchinson, one of the students on the team, the project was “exciting but also daunting,” as her role as project manager meant that she was involved in every facet of the product development process – especially when her group inevitably encountered unexpected hurdles.

“Nothing will always go exactly to plan, however we were always able to recover,” she said. “Working on this project taught me that the realities of this industry are consistently changing.”

Ms. Sihota-Hutchinson learned that and other lessons well, as a panel of industry experts awarded her the title of top project manager. Her group also won the award for best team. She has channelled what she learned at Seneca into a great career: immediately after finishing her classes, she joined Crystal Claire Cosmetics as a full-time chemist.

The full list of awards and student recipients includes:

• Formulation: Drishi Aggarwal and Jaynie Wilson
• Marketing: Amelia Thompson
• Packaging: Lauren Poon
• Project management: Cheyanne Sihota-Hutchinson
• Quality: Mairah Haider
• Regulatory: Gabriela Laytouni Imbriaco
• Team Award: Mariah Haider, Caitlin Hemsley, Lauren Poon, Cheyanne Sihota-Hutchinson, Amelia Thompson, Brooklyn Van Der Valk