Julia Larmer recently graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies, with a concentration in Peace and Conflict and a minor in Political Science. Throughout her undergraduate studies, she demonstrated a strong commitment to social justice and civic engagement. As an executive member of Laurier’s Social Justice Club, Julia deepened her understanding of issues such as poverty, gender and racial injustice, and mental health through both research and advocacy-based writing for the club’s monthly newsletter.

Julia also participated in Laurier’s Social Innovation in the City course, where she and her team explored creative ways to enhance student engagement in local politics. Their work culminated in a technical report with concrete policy recommendations, which they presented to officials from the City of Waterloo. The experience gave Julia a deeper appreciation for the many interconnected components required to drive effective political and social change.

Julia’s global interests began during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time that exposed deep global inequalities and sparked her curiosity about how power works, specifically, how it’s concentrated, exercised, and legitimized. That curiosity evolved into a set of research interests centred on the dynamics between power and security in international contexts, as well as on how ideology, governance structures, and power interact on a global scale.

Now, as a graduate student at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, Julia is looking forward to expanding and strengthening her engagement with global issues. She is eager to be part of a community that encourages thoughtful dialogue and interdisciplinary approaches to addressing global challenges.