Suzanne was born in Quebec and grew up in Nova Scotia, Canada. She began her career as a researcher and logistics manager for her husband, Michael Parfit, who wrote numerous articles for National Geographic in the 1990s. In 1997, they bought their first digital video camera and took it on a 2000-mile-long raft expedition down the Yukon River. Although no film emerged from that trip, they were hooked. They continued to use digital cameras in their research and writing work, and in 1998 while in Africa on Michael’s assignment for a National Geographic story about human migration, Suzanne filmed a short piece about refugees in Tanzania, which was later broadcast on PBS. She went on to produce and co-direct numerous news features for National Geographic Channel – US. In 2007, Suzanne and Michael released their first feature documentary, Saving Luna, in theatres. It won 28 awards and was broadcast around the world. She also produced another version of the film, called The Whale, which was narrated by Ryan Reynolds, and named Critic’s Pick by the New York Times and Washington Post.

After travelling internationally for her work for two decades, Suzanne returned to university to get a teaching degree. She has taught in both independent and public schools, and she currently works as an administrator in British Columbia’s public school system. 

Suzanne earned a Bachelor of Arts (Economics and History) from University of Toronto, a Bachelor of Education from Western University, a Master of Development Economics from Dalhousie University, and a Doctor of Education from Western University.