Aidan Isaac Cooney graduated summa cum laude in 2014 from Arizona State University with a Bachelor in Sustainability, a minor in Justice Studies and a certificate in Human Rights. He then served in the Peace Corps with his wife in the West African country of Togo. His community-based development work included environmental education, food security, reforestation, malaria prevention, nutrition, hygiene, as well as gender awareness and equality. In addition, he has volunteered and done research with local non-profits such as the International Rescue Committee, The Greater Valley Health Education Center, and Unchained (an organization that helps victims of sex-trafficking). Internationally, he volunteered six weeks with The Macaw Project in the Amazon rain forest in Peru and spent three months volunteering on organic farms in Italy. He plans to continue his higher education in the realm of sustainability, promoting its transition through the pillars of justice and human rights. He desires to work on an international scale with civil society, non-profits, businesses and intergovernmental organizations that together are on the forefront of instilling the foundation of a sustainable world.
He also has a deep passion for media and wishes to create compelling visual stories through film and photography, which educate and compel positive changes in human society. His first film, Garden City, was a 5-minute collaborative student documentary on sustainability and was nominated for a Student Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences as well as received recognition at the B.E.A. awards in Las Vegas. He has since created visual media for the Peace Corps, Pathways Togo (a non-profit organization in Togo), and his own entrepreneurial sustainability media project Cooney Films. He is largely self-taught in photography and video production and works persistently to increase his capabilities on a variety of media platforms.
He also has a deep passion for media and wishes to create compelling visual stories through film and photography, which educate and compel positive changes in human society. His first film, Garden City, was a 5-minute collaborative student documentary on sustainability and was nominated for a Student Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences as well as received recognition at the B.E.A. awards in Las Vegas. He has since created visual media for the Peace Corps, Pathways Togo (a non-profit organization in Togo), and his own entrepreneurial sustainability media project Cooney Films. He is largely self-taught in photography and video production and works persistently to increase his capabilities on a variety of media platforms.
