To be blunt, I chose to study at McGill because I lacked self-esteem and struggled with self-hate. I saw in its prestige something to aspire to, something I hoped to fill the void I felt inside me. It didn’t. Yet the people I met there have shaped who I am today. They filled the void inside my heart. Little by little, their love taught me that I deserved to find myself.
And so I laboured and eventually came out on the other end with a newfound passion for the world, for others, and for myself. I don’t think that McGill was special in that regard – there are countless places where we can find ourselves, and I am not sure that universities are the best place for it. Yet it was that place for me and for that I cherish it, despite its great many flaws.
I chose to get involved in student life because I believed in the groups and causes that I participated in. These groups worked tirelessly to make the campus and surrounding community a more inclusive, just, and welcoming space for marginalized individuals. Those are ideals that I cherish and hope we can all aspire to.
My involvement in student life was career-defining. I found a community in them. I made friends that carried me through the hardest days during my studies, those days when I wondered why I was here and felt that there was simply no place for transfeminine people in the law or even the world.
Later, as I moved on to other things, I saw my path inspire other students. I saw the home I made for myself also serve as shelter to others. Nothing could have given me greater joy.