Hailing from Sackville, New Brunswick, Ainsley graduated from Mount Allison University with an Honours BA in International Relations and a double minor in Political Science and History in 2023. Throughout her undergraduate degree, she was a part of several volunteer organizations that centered around youth led initiatives to improve various aspects of rural life, including but not limited to environmental issues, mental health supports, transportations inequalities, and more. After taking a year off to work in Kingston, Ontario, she decided to return to her academic persuits and attend the Balsillie School of International Affairs through the University of Waterloo.

Having grown up primarily outdoors on the East Coast, Ainsley developed a very strong connection to nature and the environment. With a focus on globalization and its impacts on the environment, her research areas include international environmental policy, placing corporate controls on global corporations to mitigate negative environmental impacts, and exploring the legal, financial, and social ramifications of global governance on environmental issues.

As a MAGG student, Ainsley looks to develop a greater understanding of the roles of coroporations , governmental institutions, and NGOs in the global pursuit of mitigating climate change impacts and protecting the natural world.