What was your degree and academic path at Western? How did Scholar’s impact your academic trajectory?

I graduated from Western with an Honours Specialization in English Literature and Creative Writing, alongside Scholar’s Electives. I also completed a full-year Exchange at the University of St Andrews in Scotland during my third year. During my final year at Western, I was applying to law schools, and am currently attending Osgoode Hall. Scholar’s was an even greater part of my academic journey than I realized it would be, and I am so grateful for the program and all that it has helped me accomplish up to today. My experiences from Scholar’s were some of the focal points of my law school applications, including both of the research projects I completed, particularly the research I undertook during my second year which was with a Western Law Professor, and our Community Engaged Learning work from fourth year. My research also really helped me confirm my interest in law, and was a great opportunity to explore and prioritize my own academic interests in both second and third year.

What did you do after Western and where are you now?

As I mentioned above, I am currently a 1L student at Osgoode Hall Law School. This summer I will be working at CPP Investments as a summer law student, and I am excited to be kickstarting my legal career in Toronto.

How did you stay involved/active in your community categorization? What kept you competitive?

In law school, I have continued to maintain my priority to pair success with contribution. At Osgoode, I am a Junior Caseworker for the Community & Legal Aid Services Program (CLASP), and have really appreciated the opportunity to help low-income individuals in Toronto with their legal cases in the Administrative Law Division. I have also really enjoyed connecting with other female law students through the Osgoode Women’s Network (OWN). In general, I would say that applications for things like CLASP are competitive in law school, and being able to draw on my experiences from Scholar’s—such as my Community Engaged Learning project—has really helped me to land these roles.

What is your advice to a young Western Scholar?

My advice to a young Western Scholar is to follow your interests! I think that it can be so easy to get caught up in noise surrounding what internships are most desirable and what the most “ideal” or linear path is, but I think that in the long run this can be such a disservice. Be engaged in what you’re doing and follow the academic and professional opportunities that excite you most, and the rest will fall into place.