Justin is a graduate student at the Balsillie School of International Affairs in the MAGG program. He graduated with highest distinction from McMaster University in 2023, receiving a combined Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics.

During his undergraduate studies he sought learning opportunities at the intersection of his two majors, and explored topics such as international political economy, global financial governance, political theory, and diplomacy. A high school exchange program that took him to Cuba and Germany exposed him to Canada’s role on the international stage, sparking an interest in international relations and Canadian foreign policy that quickly expanded to all forms of Canadian politics.

Justin has pursued this interest both inside and out of the academic environment, volunteering on campaigns, with NGOs, and for campus organizations. He wrote articles on Canadian current affairs for Multipolar Marauder, a student-run newspaper, volunteered as a Student Representative for the Hamilton branch of the Canadian International Council, and was the Vice President of Media Operations for McMaster Model United Nations.

In addition to volunteer experience, Justin has worked as a Policy Advisor with the LCBO, gaining hands-on experience in the field of public policy development. He enjoyed the challenge of entering an exciting and unfamiliar field to conduct critical policy research and development.

While completing his MAGG, Justin hopes to continue building knowledge on his current interests, and expand his horizons to work on some of the most important issues faced by the international community. He will focus his research on how Canada can be a leader in global governance, efforts that he hopes will continue for the rest of his career working closely with, or for, the Canadian government.