What is your current position?
Senior Policy Advisor, Political and Public Affairs, Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations, Global Affairs Canada
What attracted you to your program of study at the BSIA?
The opportunity to pursue studies in my areas of interest at a top-tier university affiliated with a renowned, cutting-edge think tank.
What was the most impactful experience you had while completing your graduate degree?
I was privileged to study with an exceptional MAGG cohort that was full of very smart, open-minded, and good humoured peers, who supported each other even when we disagreed in (and outside of) class. The opportunity to learn and grow with such a stellar cohort in the BSIA environment was incredibly – and positively – impactful for me personally and professionally.
Tell us about your job, what do you do?
I work with a team of colleagues to further Canada’s foreign policy objectives on peace and security, human rights, and sustainable development at the United Nations. This involves providing policy analysis and advice on a range of geographic and thematic issues, monitoring and reporting on developments across the UN system, engaging in consultations and negotiations within UN bodies, and conducting diplomacy and public affairs.
How does your work help make a difference?
In truth, it’s difficult to say that I’ve made even a small difference in my job, given the state of the world we’re living in. However, I’m privileged to have the opportunity to work on issues that allow me to bring to the fore the impacts of armed conflict on civilians, including and in particular on children, and to engage with partners from different countries and across the UN system to try to advance solutions to those impacts (however unlikely or impractical those solutions might be). To be able to contribute, in my own very small way and with many others, to the ongoing effort to protect civilians from the excesses of war, is something I feel both very fortunate and proud to do through my work.
What advice do you have for a potential student looking to complete their degree at the BSIA? Or for someone looking to work in Global Governance and International Policy?
Try to find out what drives and excites you above all else. If it’s worth doing, then it’s worth doing obsessively. Doors will start to open, even if they take some time to do so.