My primary reason for choosing to study at McGill was its location in Montreal, a fascinating and cosmopolitan city. Returning to Canada after attending boarding school in the United States, I was eager to study in a bilingual setting.
McGill is multicultural, it has a global perspective as an institution, and it is recognized internationally with its superlative brand. No matter what subject one chooses – in my case it was political science – the University fosters a curiosity about the world around you.
McGill nurtured my fascination for understanding countries and contexts different from my own. Looking back at the career I have had in global development and emerging markets, my trajectory all makes sense. However, when I graduated, I did not know what career I wanted to pursue. I had not interviewed for jobs while on campus, and I did not start working right away. I did quite the opposite and spent more than a year backpacking and motorcycling around Southeast Asia.
My advice to today’s students is that it’s all right if you do not know what you want to do or who you want to be. Build as many hard and soft skills as you can. Reflect on your values, the contributions you want to make in the world and the life you want to lead. Move in the direction of your curiosity.
I was very inspired by a passage by German writer Rainer Maria Rilke that speaks to being patient toward all that is unsolved in your life, and appreciate the questions you are asking yourself for what they are, rather than just seeking the answers. The point is to live everything: live the questions and then gradually without even noticing it you will live your way into the answers.
One of the things I am most grateful for in my life was taking a political science law class that was taught by Professor Christopher Manfredi (now McGill’s Provost). He was a sounding board and helped me evaluate different career paths. He genuinely cared about coaching me and I am very grateful for his support and guidance.
While being a large university, McGill never felt impersonal. Looking back, I recall its warmth. There was always a sense of kinship as a student on the McGill campus and I appreciated that enormously.