I was attracted to McGill because of the opportunity to live and study in the city of Montreal – to benefit not only from the resources of the University, but from the rich diversity of the city. I was also not yet certain of what I wanted to study (I began at McGill thinking I would study psychology, but by my second year I was majoring in International Development). I was grateful that McGill’s Bachelor of Arts offered great freedom and flexibility to explore many different aspects of social sciences and humanities.
My McGill experience impacted my life in many ways. I made some of my closest friends there, many of whom became colleagues in different walks of life. Many of these people are still very important in my life and work, and I am constantly inspired and motivated by them. It is invaluable to be connected to so many brilliant changemakers.
I also found several mentors during my time at McGill, two of whom founded organizations where I would later work. Through these relationships, I learned about areas of study I was completely unfamiliar with; I developed a confidence in myself and my ideas that I didn’t have before. Combined with the opportunities I had to get involved in civic life, gain practical experience, and understand the realities of vulnerable people (specifically through McGill Global Health Programs, the McGill Institute for Health and Social Policy, the Institute for International Development and clubs like Universities Allied for Essential Medicines and MEDLIFE), I started to realize my own potential to be a changemaker.
It was through all of these experiences that I began to shape my own outlook of the world, to start to develop a critical systems thinking perspective, to learn about the devastating and lasting impacts of racism and colonization worldwide. I began the difficult process of decolonizing (very imperfectly) my own life and work, to understand how the intersecting crises of forced migration, climate change, access to medicines, and poverty compound each other. Different experiences at McGill opened my eyes to all of these areas, and I have gone on to pursue them during my professional life.
Most of my volunteer and professional service is dedicated to supporting the world’s most vulnerable peoples to achieve greater health and social equity. This involves both advocating at a systems level and direct accompaniment of individuals and groups. My life is enriched by actively standing in solidarity with others, while learning and unlearning from the life experiences of others.
I chose to remain involved with McGill after graduation because I benefited greatly as a student from the resources that McGill offered, and especially from the many brilliant professors and students I met around me. I also recognize that the University has so much potential to contribute to the richness and vitality of the city of Montreal, as well as Canada and the world.
While McGill is indeed a colonial institution and in many ways perpetuates colonialism, there are many parts of the University that are dedicated to bringing about impactful social change, and I enjoy being a part of that change.