Tell us about yourself.
I’m from Richmond Hill, Ontario - not too far from Toronto. I started my undergrad at Guelph University where I stayed for two years before realizing it wasn’t really a great fit for me. I had always pictured myself in the city, even in high school. Ryerson was actually my top choice but I decided to go to Guelph because my brother was also going there (I’m a triplet) and he’s diabetic so I thought it would be good to go to the same school just so he would have someone with him as he had never been away from home. After the two year mark I decided to transfer to Ryerson to complete the remaining few years of my undergrad and I loved it! Clearly, I enjoyed my time at Ryerson enough to want to go back. My brothers all decided to study business so I did feel pressured to go the same route, but I’ve always had a passion for social justice so ultimately I decided to pursue Criminology and I’m so thankful I did. I believe studying Criminology is what really led me on a path towards law school and cemented my decision and interest to further my studies of law.
What area of law would you like to practice?
I want to go into law school with an open mind. I’m really excited to learn about the different areas of law that I could potentially practise in. I definitely have a passion for Criminal and International law because of what I studied in my undergrad but I’m definitely going into law school with an open mind.
Why did you choose Ryerson Law?
Ryerson Law actually wasn’t my top choice for law school. I was set on another school initially but COVID-19 really made me want to explore the future of the legal sector more and really examine which school would be best for me now and also long-term. I have some experience working in tech and so when thinking about these things and looking at Ryerson’s curriculum, it made sense that Ryerson Law was a much better fit. I think that the legal sector isn't keeping up with the needs of consumers, it is falling behind. The importance of integrating tech into law is as prominent as ever - we are seeing this right now during this pandemic. So many issues in the legal industry have been highlighted during this time and I just think that a better understanding of the intersection between tech and law is vital to my education and my future path as a lawyer. Part of the advantage that Ryerson Law has over other schools is that they are launching this new program in such a crucial time which will really reflect in the education that we receive over the next few years and how we can be trained to become lawyers that adapt to the needs of legal consumers.
What do you hope to accomplish with your J.D.?
I’ve wanted to be a lawyer since I was in high school. While I’m undecided on what exactly it is I wish to do I know that I want to make a difference. I’m very passionate about social justice and our justice system is far from perfect - we are seeing this now more than ever. I want to contribute to improving our justice system. I believe that real change in the industry requires lawyers who are truly passionate about their role in impacting that change and I want to be a part of that.
As a part of the inaugural cohort of Ryerson Law, what are you most looking forward to?
I truly cannot wait to start law school. This really is a dream come true for me. I’ve always known I’ve wanted to work in law so just knowing that I’m going to law school really excites me. I can’t wait to meet the incoming class at Ryerson Law. We’ve all been bonding over Zoom, text, Facebook groups, and I think we have a really great class that brings so much to the table. Everyone is so passionate about law and I think that’s really important. I’m also just really excited to get back into a classroom setting. I love school and learning new things! I can’t wait to get started and explore the world of law further.