2017 Award Recipients


(Photos by Laura Di Maio)

Allan A. Hodgson Arts Internship Award

David Barmes, U3, Economics and Psychology
David is a third year student pursuing a double major in economics and psychology. He will be interning with the Indigenous Movement for Peace Advancement and Conflict Transformation (IMPACT), a partner organization of the Institutional Canopy of Conservation that works primarily on peace building, governance, land rights, and community development programs among and with pastoralist communities. David hopes to take this opportunity to develop his knowledge and understanding of issues at the intersection of energy, environment, and economic policy.

Asterix Hassan, U2, Economics
Asterix is in his second year majoring in economics and minoring in political economy and political science. He will be interning with IMPACT (Indigenous Movement for Peace Advancement and Conflict Transformation) in Nanyuki, Kenya. IMPACT is a policy advocacy and community development organization working to address problems of minority groups. This first-hand account presents an opportunity for him to work with indigenous communities in collaboration with local and international partners, in strengthening their influence on national policies.

Henry Kabiyona, U1, Sociology
Henry will intern at Maison Shalom in Rwanda. Maison Shalom is non-profit organization that supports refugees in Rwanda, specifically from recent crisis in Burundi, by providing basic needs and services in addition to ensuring human rights for those individuals who are living in refugee camps and cities in Rwanda. His main responsibilities include writing grants for program funding and working in refugee camps on Maison Shalom’s existing programs, including counselling and community building, among other tasks.

Thomas Kokossou, M1, Economics
Thomas will intern with ELIMU, a research NGO located in Kenya which measures the practical impact of different poverty alleviation initiatives, such as rural electrification and legal aid. Having European and African roots, and having lived in the West Indies, he has always been sensitive to and interested by questions related to economic development. He is thus very excited by the valuable opportunity to have a field experience and apply his knowledge, while contributing to the uncovering of cost effective methods to improve living standards.

Nicholas Ian Milum, U1, International Development Studies
Nicholas is a second-year student originally from Vancouver. While growing up he developed a passion for the outdoors by working as a kayak guide during the summer. That passion led him to apply to be an intern with the Canadian Wildlife Federation, where he will work on research projects that affect government policies on issues including whale watching regulations and the purchasing of sustainably sourced seafood.

Jan Oledan, U2, Economics and Geography
Jan will be interning at Elimu Impact Evaluation Centre, in Kianyaga, Kenya established by McGill Professor Mathieu Chemin, specializing in randomized testing and impact evaluation of small scale development projects. Jan is a third-year student majoring in economics and geography, with an interest in applying mathematical and geographic information science techniques to the field of development. Through this internship, he hopes to improve his quantitative and qualitative research skills to prepare for graduate studies.

Liam Ragan, U1, Honours Anthropology

Liam will be interning in Nairobi, Kenya, with the Institutional Canopy of Conservation, a research initiative concerning livelihood development and biodiversity conservation. Liam is pursuing an honours degree in anthropology, with minor concentrations in environment and social entrepreneurship. Given this academic background, he hopes to better understand how conservation efforts can enable traditional ecological knowledge and local communities to develop contextualized, nuanced approaches to complex problems.

Calvin Trottier-Chi, U1, Joint Honours Economics and Political Science

Calvin will intern with Children of Bududa, where he will teach a variety of subjects to local children and collect census data. Calvin currently works for The McGill Tribune and is an avid member of Model United Nations. This internship will provide an opportunity to help those in need and for Calvin to appreciate the diversity of domestic interests that underlie his program.


Andrew Buntain Arts Internship Award

Brayden Culligan, U2, Political Science.
Brayden will be interning at the Ecology Action Centre, which works to research and promote effective ecological policy in Nova Scotia, Canada, and internationally. Brayden is pursuing his second year of a Bachelor of Arts in political science, with minors in environment and communications. His involvement in the EAC’s projects on Ecological Policy and research communication will help propel his career in sustainability, particularly in ecological science communication and advocacy.

 

May Hobeika, U2, Environment

May will be interning at Forum Ökologisch-Soziale Marktwirtschaft, an independent political think tank doing research on economic instruments in environmental policy in Berlin, Germany. As a student majoring in economics and the earth's environment, the FÖS’s commitment to the transition to an ecological and social market economy suits May’s aspiration of entering the field of environmental policy. She is looking forward to improving her research skills while exploring her interests in agriculture and transport fiscal policy.


The Andre King Wi Tan Externship Award

Lavanya Huria, U1, Honours Economics and Accounting
Lavanya Huria is currently studying economics and political science. Her interests culminate in the field of International Development and she is looking for a solid foundation to give her efforts more context. This summer, she is doing an eight-week training in an accounts office in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. The internship will include a more formal setting in which she will gain experience in the accounting profession.

Jasmine Lee, U2, Political Science
Jasmine will be interning at New Work Media (NWM), an award-winning media firm located in Hong Kong. Jasmine is a political science major with two minor concentrations in communications and sexual diversity studies. She has always been a passionate writer, focusing her articles on the topic of human rights and other socio-political issues all over the globe. She is excited to apply her knowledge in a fast-paced environment in the vibrant city of Hong Kong.


The Armando and Ann Manfredi Arts Internship Award

Juliette Mueller, U3, Gender, Sexuality, Feminist & Social Justice Studies
Juliette is interning at the Equal Justice Society in Oakland, California. The Equal Justice Society is transforming America’s consciousness on race through law, social science, and the arts. This summer, she will participate in work with the Legal Director, President, and Development Director on research, writing, and litigation in the areas of civil rights and racial justice. Juliette cares deeply about social justice. She will apply the knowledge she has gained through her GSFS and critical race theory courses to her time at the EJS, and considers this internship an opportunity to explore how to broaden conceptions of present-day discrimination to include unconscious and structural bias.


The Arts Student Employment Fund

Daniela Arellano Baeza, U2, Economics and Political Science
Daniela will be interning with the Mexican Embassy to the EU in Brussels and ProMexico a government agency focused on trade and investment, where she will assist to foster economic ties, and promote trade between Mexico and the EU. She is interested in learning about the economic relations of her home country, Mexico, and the international trade agreements they currently undertake.

Stephanie Fernandes, U1, Honours International Development Studies
Stephanie is studying honours international development and double minoring in social entrepreneurship and gender and sexual diversity studies. As a selected Oslo Scholar she will be representing McGill University at the Oslo Freedom Forum, a transformative annual conference that brings together the world’s leading human rights activists and advocates. Subsequently, she will be working directly with journalist, civil rights defender, and founder of anticorruption Angolan NGO, Rafael Marques de Morais.

Maria Fustic, U1, International Development Studies
Maria is an international development student with a minor in political science. She will be interning at Save the Children Canada in Toronto this summer as a Gender Equality Support Officer. She intends to gain a deeper understanding of how gender inequalities create and perpetuate development issues, specifically for children. Moreover, she looks forward to learning about and being a part of the work that Save the Children does to address these issues.

Bella Harvey, U2, Honours Political Science
Bella will be interning at the Canadian Public Relations Society in conjunction with the International Public Relations Association to plan the international public relations congress being held in Montreal. She is eager to work with an organization whose mission lies within the intersection of two comprehensive areas of study, international relations, and Canadian politics. She hopes to build upon the experiences and connections gained as she pursues a career in law and public policy.

Jared Ingersoll, U2, Political Science
Jared will be interning at the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee. He is excited to gain first-hand experience with the legislative process, while fostering the skills necessary to initiate significant political outcomes. His passion for Middle Eastern politics has inspired his pursuit of a permanent position with the U.S. Foreign Service.

Meara Kirwin, U2, Anthropology
Meara is an undergraduate student studying anthropology, education, and gender, sexuality, feminism and social justice studies. She is committed to grassroots organizing for economic and political justice, and strives to do research and knowledge production in the university that aligns with these goals. She hopes to one day become a critical educator in either the public or post-secondary education system, adopt a Great Dane, and continue playing the accordion. She was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, also known as amiskwaciwâskahikan, on Treaty 6 territory.

Eric Krol, U2, Joint Honours Political Science and History
Eric is a passionate and driven person from Mississauga, Ontario. His involvement in organizations such as IRSAM—including its umbrella organizations (McGill Model United Nations Delegation Team, McMUN, SSUNS) and PSSA—are indicative of his personality and ability to commit to tasks. He is a well organized individual who manages multiple assignments and deadlines well.

Marie Lemieux, U2, Honours Political Science and Religion & Globalization
Marie will intern at Fair Vote, a non-profit organization dedicated to fairer democracy in the United States. She will be performing research duties, such as preparing material for upcoming academic conferences, as well as quantitative work. Marie is an honours student in political science and religion and globalization. Her interests include democratization, international relations, and quantitative methods. On campus, she is the Editor-in-Chief of the McGill International Review’s Academic Journal.

Andrea Papini, U2, International Development Studies and Political Science
Andrea is an international student from El Salvador who will intern at the Finance Alliance for Sustainable Trade (FAST) in Montreal. As Project Assistant, Andrea will assist in the Central American coffee and cocoa projects and in the streamlining of the organization’s new online matchmaking platform AXiiS. Her internship will link her academic concentration in agricultural and environmental resources with work experience related to corporate social responsibility.

Suvij Sudershan, U3, English
Suvij is a student of English literature in the final year of his Bachelor of Arts. He was born in India and came to McGill University in 2013. He wrote his honours thesis on the representation of nationalism and anti-colonialism in Irish literature. Suvij is interested in the artistic representation of socio-cultural issues and wishes to pursue this theme further with work in post-colonial and comparative literary fields.

 

The Arts Undergraduate Improvement Fund (AUIF) Internship Award

Elisha Aaron, U2, English
Elisha Aaron will intern in Montreal with Climate Reality Project to work on developing materials to communicate the urgency of the climate crisis to Canadians, as well as inspiring them to get involved. This internship provides him with invaluable experience, as he hopes to pursue a career in climate activism, and is keenly interested in how culture can help effectively communicate the issues of the climate crisis.

Charlotte Atkins, U2, Political Science
Charlotte will be interning with the University of Indonesia in the Faculty of Social and Political Science where she will be teaching English courses and heading various academic workshops to promote better written and oral English skills to undergraduate students. Charlotte is completing her third year with a major in political science and two minor concentrations in philosophy and economics. Charlotte looks forward to the opportunity to examine Indonesian political thought.

Ariela Greenberg-Nielson, U3, Anthropology
Ariela will intern with Geordie Productions, a Montreal based travelling theatre company that works to present important sociopolitical issues to children in an accessible way while recognizing the complexity of such topics. Ariela is excited to use her anthropological skills to identify communities in the greater Montreal area that could benefit from the shows this company produces. She also looks forward to developing techniques to facilitate community engagement and outreach.

Shiyun (Feifei) Hua, U2, International Development Studies
Feifei will be interning at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, a member driven organization that promotes Canadian interests in China and connects the Canadian business community with its Chinese counterparts. As a Membership Intern, she will be representing CanCham Shanghai at various government events and maintaining successful membership services. Learning about business development and its impacts on regional development will serve her future career goal of linking business sectors with non-profit projects in education.

Joyoon Kim, U3, Honours Anthropology
Joyoon will be interning at the Happiness Hospital, an organization which works towards promoting social integration for the elderly population in South Korea. Combining her interest in issues of social marginalization in Korean context with her skills gained through her research training, she will work towards building social rehabilitation programs that seek to reintegrate the elderly community in Korean society. Her interest areas include social marginalization, governmental management of different segments of social actors, and societal imaginations of changing national identity. Through this internship, Keidan hopes to build a foundation for her graduate degree and further her research in the field.
 

Sophie McKenzie, U1, International Development Studies
Sophie is in her second year, majoring in international development studies and minoring in Indigenous studies and anthropology. She will intern for the Children of Bududa Program in a rural eastern Uganda. The program provides health-related and educational support to the community’s impoverished and orphaned children. Sophie hopes this experience will provide her with invaluable experience in the development realm, and facilitate her dream of becoming a social worker.

Nina Milhaud, U2, International Development Studies and Political Science

Nina will intern with the Accès Asie Festival, a Montreal-based artistic festival which aims at promoting Asian arts, culture, and history through a variety of artistic disciplines. She will assist in the organization and coordination of the event, as well as in the general administrative support of the festival. Nina is thrilled to be part of this initiative and to contribute to the promotion of intercultural tolerance and solidarity.

Zoe Shaw, U2, Honours English
Zoe is a U2 honours English literature major who will intern at Véhicule Press, a Montreal publishing press that publishes Canadian poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. She will be involved in various editorial and marketing aspects of bringing a book to life from its original manuscript to the finished product on a bookshelf. Zoe is currently an executive member of the Department of English Student Association and an editor for The Veg Literary Magazine.

Talor Wald, U3, Economics
Talor is majoring in economics and minoring in environment and English literature. She will be interning with the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco, a non-profit, community organization that counsels tenants on their rights and advocates for socially equitable housing policies. As an intern she will counsel tenants facing illegal evictions and help organize community events to support progressive legislation. This internship will prepare her for graduate studies in public policy and economic development.

Caroline Wesley, U3, Joint Honours Political Science and International Development Studies
Caroline will be interning in the Transport and Innovation section at the Embassy of Canada in Washington DC., Canada’s main diplomatic mission to the United States. Having previously interned for Global Affairs Canada and the U.S. State Department, Caroline is excited to further broaden her insight into North American diplomatic relations in Washington. Impassioned by diplomacy and policy-writing, working on the Embassy’s Transport and Innovation team will help Caroline explore the linkages between transport issues, trade policy, and international relations.

Zoë Wilkins, U2, Joint Honours Political Science and Philosophy
Zoë is a currently a student pursuing a joint honours degree political science and philosophy. Zoë will be interning with the Canadian Council for Refugees in Montreal this summer. She will start off her internship by working assisting in the 2017 Youth Action Gathering in Winnipeg, and then will spend the rest of her summer working on the CCR’s Newcomer Youth Network, and on a private refugee sponsorship project, along with various other tasks.

Ines Wittke, U2, Political Science
Ines Wittke is majoring in political science, and double minoring in philosophy and economics. She will be interning at the General Delegation of Quebec to Munich in the Economic Department. Thanks to this opportunity, Ines will learn how to defend national interests abroad while gaining experience in her main field of interest: international political economy. Ines hopes to pursue a career as a diplomat while promoting the benefits of cooperation in order to achieve peace.

Diamond Yao, U1, Honours Geography
Diamond will be interning with Climate Reality Project Canada working to spread awareness about environmental issues. This organization’s mission is to catalyze a global solution to the climate crisis by making urgent action necessary. Through this internship, Diamond is excited to put her intersectional interests in media, science, climate change and technology to use in helping the planet. She hopes that this experience will make her learn tangible skills for a future in sustainable planning.


The Barbara and Patrick Keenan Undergraduate Internship Awards for Interfaith Studies

Tessa Joanna McGowan, U3, Religious Studies and International Development Studies
Tessa is a double major in world religions and international development studies, with a minor in education. She studied abroad in Zurich, Switzerland last year and loved her time living abroad as an undergraduate. Tessa’s been interested in studying religion ever since she was a Catechism teacher at her local church during her four years in high school. She is looking forward to continuing studying religion with a master’s degree, most likely followed by a PhD afterward. This summer she will be interning at the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York City.


Brenda and Morrison Hurley Arts Internship Award

Yasmine Elmir, U3, English
Yasmine will intern in Kampala, Uganda, with the Women of Uganda Network, an NGO dedicated to developing the use of information and communication technologies among women. Yasmine is currently an undergraduate student in cultural studies and communications, and is interested in the role of technology and media with regards to democracy. She focuses her studies on researching about the aspects that affect society as a whole and the ways we can advocate for democracy in the 21st century. This internship is the perfect opportunity to gain insight into what it will be like to participate in international humanitarian work, as Yasmine is soon graduating and wants to start her career path.

Henrique Mecabo, U1, Joint Honours Economics and Finance

Henrique will be interning with Arko Advice in Brasília, Brazil. There, he will closely monitor parliamentary activity by attending different hearings and events at Congress. The information collected will be used for analysis of Brazil’s political and economic conjuncture. Henrique’s experience will help him navigate Brazilian politics and prepare him to achieve his big dream: improve Brazil’s national education through governmental action.

Daniel Silver, U1, Honours Environment

Daniel is currently finishing his second year, majoring in environment. This summer, he will be interning with the Institutional Canopy of Conservation—ICAN, whose work is focused on determining effective strategies for community-based conservation that can be applied to other regions around the world. Daniel knows this internship will give him valuable experience that will help him achieve his goal of teaching and researching topics such as conservation, environmental management, and ecology.


Bryce Internship Award

Nadège Dollonne-Rohrbacher, U3, Anthropology
Nadège will be interning with Genetic Counselors in the Department of Human Genetics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Miami, Florida. Genetic counselors here provide counseling to individuals at risk for hereditary cancer syndromes. Nadège will not only be shadowing counseling sessions, but help with pedigree organization, chart reviews, and patient phone calls, learning the dynamics of the office and daily routine of a genetic counselor in both English and Spanish, helping individuals learn about their cancer risks and options of prevention. Nadège plans to complete her degree in Anthropology with a double minor in Hispanic languages and social studies of medicine, as well as apply to genetic counseling graduate programs in the fall.

Madeline Greenwood, U1, Geography
Madeline is currently working toward a major in sustainability, science and society and a minor in international development studies. Maddie will be interning with Nexos Comunitarios, a Peruvian NGO dedicated to responsible and multidimensional human development. Maddie’s role will be to assist in the implementation and analysis of greenhouses in a remote community in the Andes, in order to boost agricultural productivity and combat malnutrition in the village of Cucani.

Maya Keshav, U2, Joint Honours Linguistics and Classics

Maya will intern as a research assistant at Queen Mary University of London. Maya is excited to work with Dr. Erez Levon, an expert in sociolinguistics, and to learn more about how social characteristics like region, ethnicity, and sexual orientation combine to form an individual’s speech. By working in Queen Mary’s linguistics laboratories, Maya will gain hands-on experience with the tools of linguistic analysis.


 


Burgess Family Internship Award

Rebecca Fischer, U2, History and Political Science
Rebecca will be interning at the Gettysburg National Military Park in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. She will be assisting in archival research and the documentation of preservation and maintenance activities relating to the park’s buildings and historic sites. Rebecca looks forward to gaining practical knowledge in archival research, especially as she looks to continue her studies in a law or history related field.


Carol and Lloyd Darlington Arts Internship Award 

Zain Bhanji, U1, Honours International Development Studies
Zain will be interning at the UIN Malang Language Centre in Indonesia. UIN Malang is an Indonesian university committed to teaching higher level Islamic education. At the Malang Language Centre, Zain will be conducting an English Language class teaching students in the International Relations Program. In addition, Zain will assist in editing English documents for the university staff. Zain's passion for teaching and desire to explore a new part of the world led him to choose this position where he will gain a wealth of teaching experience.

Cristina Castro, U2, Economics
Cristina will be participating in the Emzingo Global Impact Fellowship in Lima, Peru. The internship consists in a leadership and social impact program where students consult for not-for-profits and social enterprises while undergoing an intensive leadership and personal development curriculum. Cristina is pursuing a major in economics with minor concentrations in management and international development studies. Originally from Venezuela, she looks forward to beginning a career in economic development and consulting focused on Latin America.
 

Laurence Dagenais-Poulin, U1, Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
Laurence will be interning for the Indigenous Livelihoods Enhancement Partners (ILEPA) in Narok, Kenya. This organization addresses the challenge of combining protection of biodiversity with strengthened livelihoods through field research. A liberal arts and political science student, she is eager to learn more about the conservancy challenges faced by East African communities. Moreover, this internship will be a great opportunity to explore and further her interests in land rights and political relations.
 

Alexandria Lilly Gates, U2, Honours Environment
Lilly is an inter-faculty environment student. She will intern with the Indigenous Peoples of Africa Co-ordinating Committee (IPACC) this summer in Cape Town, South Africa. IPACC is an NGO that works to promote Indigenous rights and gender equality, and supports democracy in Indigenous organizations. This internship allows her to pursue her interest in researching how Indigenous livelihoods intersect with climate change impacts. She is eager to learn about sustainable development initiatives in South Africa.

Anaïs Kreklewich, U1, Honours Economics
Anaïs will be interning with Casa – Pueblito, a non-governmental organization that facilitates community development and intercultural learning in Canada and Latin America. Anaïs is pursuing an honours degree in economics with a minor in Hispanic languages. With a passion for art, languages, and culture, she looks forward to applying her skills as she organizes and promotes a Latin American film festival to fundraise and share the Latin American culture in Toronto. 

Aidan McLaughlin, U3, Political Science
Aidan will intern at the Indigenous Livelihoods Enhancement Partners (ILEPA) in Kenya. ILEPA aims to enhance environmental conservation and livelihoods diversification for pastoralist indigenous communities in Narok County, while encouraging indigenous peoples’ participation in governance, specifically to natural resource management. Most interested in community development, human rights advocacy and policy making, Aidan looks forwards to assisting ILEPA in their ongoing research projects and eventually to conducting her own research.

Camille Preel-Dumas, U2, Honours Political Science

Camille will be interning at the Association for India's Development (AID) in Chennai, India. She will be working with AID’s Eureka Child Foundation, an initiative to promote sustainable development by improving access to quality education. Her internship duties will include revising curriculums, developing promotional material, and managing office data. As an honours political science student, she is incredibly excited to learn the inner-workings of an NGO and gain relevant professional skills.

Andrew Sandock, U1, International Development Studies and World Islamic & Middle Eastern Studies
Andrew will be interning this summer at the Association for India’s Development (AID) Eureka Foundation based in Chennai, India. The Eureka Foundation seeks to provide quality education to underprivileged children in rural Tamil Nadu. Andrew will be conducting projects and research in educational development and learning how to apply them at a grassroots level. He is excited to learn more about using education to fight social and class inequality in India.
 

Arunima Sharan, U2, Joint Honours Economics and International Development Studies

Arunima will be interning with NITI Aayog in New Delhi, an Indian government-run think tank that focuses on designing strategic and long-term policies and programs for the Government and provides relevant technical advice to the center and state governments. She will be an intern with the PPAMD, PPP & PIB Division that undertakes appraisals and evaluates projects proposed by policymakers. As a student of economics and international development studies, Arunima hopes to tie together the theories learnt in class with the reality, and be able to understand the gaps between the two.

Madeline Taylor, U2, Art History and Gender, Sexuality, Feminist, & Social Justice Studies

Madeline will be interning with Semillas, a non-profit based in Mexico City that provides funding for women’s organizations. She is excited to see how this experience might enrich her studies in gender, sexuality, feminist, and social justice studies, and help bridge the gap between theory and practice. Madeline is a second year art history and GSFS major, hoping to be a social worker one day.

Divine Usabase, U2, Environment

Divine Usabase is a student in environment and development. She participated in the 2017 Canadian Field Studies in Africa, where she enriched her knowledge of her native region, East Africa. Her interests include, but are not limited to, sustainable development, community-based conservation and human rights. Her position as an SOS Children’s Villages Youth Ambassador has led her to advocate for marginalized youth at UN ECOSOC, The Council of Europe and Global Affairs Canada.

Elisa Vallette, U2, Honours International Development Studies

Elisa Vallette will intern with Nexos Comunitarios in Cuncani (Peru). This Non-Governmental- Organisation promotes responsible human development among indigenous communities living in the Andean mountains. It assists the communities by enhancing their human capital (health and education) and social capital. She will be working on the nutrition project which aims to combat the root of malnutrition. Elisa, pursuing an honours degree in international development, wishes to gain an invaluable experience in this field.


 


The Chris Tyler Marckmann International Social Work Summer Internship Awards

Anne-Julie Lozeau, U2, Social Work

Anne-Julie will have a chance to intern with WOUGNET (Women of Uganda Network) in Kampala, Uganda, over the summer. She is thrilled to be part of an NGO that promotes empowerment, and networking within women’s organisations. Her task will also require promoting and implementing gender sensitive and ICT (information and communication technologies) policies and programs. She hopes to gain experience and knowledge around empowering women that will help her become an international social worker.


David Tarr and Gisele Chèvrefils Arts Internship Award 

Claire Maybank, U1, Honours International Development Studies
Claire will be interning with Projects Abroad Human Rights Office in Cape Town, South Africa. An NPO that offers legal aid to those in need and raises awareness in local communities about human rights. She will be mainly involved with the Department of Law where she will be assisting walk-in clients, working with lawyers on legal cases, and attending court. Claire is completing her major in international development studies with a minor in economics and plans to attend law school after completing her undergraduate studies at McGill.


The Davies  Family Arts International Internship Award 

Kyana Alexandre, U2, Economics
Kyana will be interning with the Association for India’s Development. AID India is a non-profit organization that works with underprivileged communities in different development areas, such as education and agriculture. Kyana will be taking part in a rural development project during the summer. She hopes to have a positive impact on India’s development, to acquire more professional knowledge during her internship and to learn a lot culturally from her experience of living in India.


The Gail Elizabeth Todgham Arts Internship Award

Brianne Chapelle, U2, Honours Art History
Brianne is an honours student in art history and minoring in communication studies, with a particular interest in modern and contemporary art, and the history of costume. Brianne is the co-president of the Art History and Communication Studies Student Association, the co-director of Fridge Door Gallery, and a research assistant at the McGill English Department's Costume Shop. This summer, she is interning at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, an institution dear to her heart.


The Gregg Blachford and David McGillivray Internship Award

Katherine Belisle, U3, Joint Honours International Development Studies and Sociology
Katherine will be interning with the Native Friendship Centre (NFCM) of Montreal, Canada. The NFCM is a local organization that offers a variety of health, legal, educational, and employment services to the urban Aboriginal population of Montreal. Her internship will involve creating programming material for the NFCM’s Inter-Tribal Youth Centre. She is dedicated to social justice projects, and hopes to pursue a future career in graphic design.

Pascale Bockelmann, U2, Cognitive Science
Pascale is pursuing a cognitive science degree and a minor in sexual diversity studies. This summer she will be interning at DAWN, a non-profit dedicated to increasing equitable access to health care services and to share our knowledge and experience on inclusion practice. They promote and operate as a platform for ending the poverty, isolation, discrimination and violence experienced by women with disabilities and Deaf women. Pascale sees this as a great opportunity to combine her passions of health and women’s leadership.

Abby Maxwell, U1, Gender, Sexuality, Feminism, & Social Justice Studies
Abby Maxwell is a student of gender, sexuality, feminism, and social justice studies with minors in environmental studies and religious studies.  During her internship with Third Millennium Alliance in Camarones, Ecuador, Abby will be working to implement a community-based gardening project that will cultivate long-term self sufficiency and food security within this coastal community in the face of damage from a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake in the spring of 2016.


Hinda Ordower King Award of Merit 

Johanne Emilie Caldwell, M1, Social Work
Johanna will intern with Waqe3, a community organization in East Amman, Jordan, which serves low-income Jordanians and refugees from Syria. Informed by a rights-based community practice model, Waqe3 is run by local women who leverage knowledge of their community to increase access to social services, advocate for domestic violence prevention and legal literacy training, and expand community activism and engagement. Johanna was a U.S. Fulbright Fellow in Jordan in 2012-13 and has more recently worked with recently-arrived refugees and asylum-seekers in Montreal while preparing to complete her master’s degree in social work next year. She looks forward to working with the women of Waqe3 to support them in developing their programming and helping to bolster capacity as the organization adapts to the growing needs of the local population.


The Hon. Paul and Yvonne Casey Internship Award

Kate Daly, U2, Honours History
Kate Daly will be interning at Law Students in Court (LSIC) in Washington D.C. this summer. At LSIC, staff attorneys and law students work together to advocate for low-income D.C. residents who have civil, criminal, and housing legal problems. Kate is pursuing an honours degree in history, and is planning on attending law school after graduation. By shadowing skilled lawyers and working directly with clients, Kate’s internship will provide invaluable experience in her desired field.

Marine de Lamarzelle, U2, Joint Honours Political Science and History
Marine will be interning at “Véronique Chauveau et Associés”, a law firm that is specialized in Family Law. This summer, she will participate in translating case files from French to English, aid with administrative work, shadow a renown Private International Law lawyer called Véronique Chauveau, and observe first-hand how an international law firm functions. Marine is currently completing a joint honors in political science and history. Passionate about political systems, she looks forward to use the political science knowledge gained from her degree to the field of law. Following her graduation in May 2018, she plans to apply to law schools in France and become a lawyer specialized in family law.

Merryn Isabel Post, U1, Political Science

Isabel is a political science and Russian language student from Brooklyn, New York, specializing in transitional democracies of the former Soviet Union. This summer, she’ll be interning at the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies in Tbilisi, Georgia. She hopes to pursue a career in international diplomacy.


The Ithaca Arts Internship Award/Bourse Ithaque pour les stages en Arts

Leah Blezard, U3, Honours International Development Studies

Leah will be interning for The SAM Project (sustainability through agriculture and micro-enterprise) in Southern Province, Zambia. She has volunteered with SAM for the past two years, managing the field operations of a rural nutrition program. This work has allowed Leah to pursue her passion for promoting health care as a fundamental human right, work she hopes to continue as a medical doctor one day.

Paige Hunter, U2, Honours International Development Studies
Paige Hunter is an honours international development studies student with a minor concentration in philosophy. She is currently working with Médecins Sans Frontières as their Association Outreach Intern and is a club executive for Generation Screwed at McGill, a Canadian-wide campus-based movement that fights for government fiscal responsibility. This summer, Paige will be working at Greenpop in South Africa to fight deforestation and promote sustainable development.


The Jennifer Ritter Arts Internship Award

Alex Emilie Arend, U2, Political Science
Alex is a third-year student majoring in political science and minoring in East Asian cultural studies and geography. She will be interning this summer in the English department of Ibaraki Christian University in Hitachi, Japan, where she will assist students and plan lessons. Japanese language and culture has been a lifelong passion for her, and she is excited to immerse herself in the environment. She hopes to use this experience to explore TESL as a field of interest, and apply these skills towards a future working in East Asian politics and society.

Emilie Slotine, U3, English and Psychology
Emilie will be interning at Theatre Psychanalyse - À Corps Perdus, developing further understanding of the interdisciplinary relationship between psychology and theatre. Emilie is highly invested in mental health awareness and the need to expand the field of holistic self-care. Emilie hopes to draw from the physical vocabulary of theatre and the movement arts, as well as from the archetypal and metaphorical imageries of art and literature, to help develop strategies which promote individual well-being and community building.

Sophia Stuart-Sheppard, U2, International Development Studies
Sophia will be interning in Toronto at Healthy Minds Canada, a national charity in the mental health and addictions space. Hoping to pursue a career in social work upon completion of her schooling, Sophia is passionate about mental health and using education and advocacy to promote its de-stigmatization and improve quality of services. The internship provides an exciting opportunity to gain hands-on experience and learn from professionals in this field.

Lavanya Virmani, U1, Psychology

Lavanya Virmani, majoring in psychology, will be working for the project "Thermal images of the lung on a smartphone to differentiate bacterial from non-bacterial causes of pneumonia" under the Department of Global Health at Boston University of Public Health in Malawi and Boston. She will be performing duties pertaining to data analysis. Lavanya has always had an interest in psychological statistics and hopes to apply her skills for the project and give back to the community. She also seeks to broaden her horizons by applying a multidisciplinary approach to psychology and global health.


The John Wasileski Externship Awards

Thomas Lacy, U3, International Development Studies and Psychology
Tomas will be interning with the Cathance River Education Alliance (CREA) in Topsham, Maine. CREA is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting ecological awareness and nature-based learning among students, educators, and the public. Tom is majoring in international development studies and psychology, with a particular interest in navigating the social challenges of sustainability and development. He looks forward to learning from an organization with so much experience inspiring people to connect with the environment.

Victoria Emanuelle Forest-Briand, U2, Honours Political Science

Victoria Emanuelle will be interning with Friends of Head Harbour Lightstation on Campobello Island, New Brunswick. Her internship duties include putting together, archiving, and collecting oral histories that will be used in a forthcoming museum project centered around the Head Harbour Lightstation, a 150-year-old landmark and federal heritage site. Victoria Emanuelle is looking forward to developing her archiving and research skills. She is excited to help contribute to the preservation of an important Canadian landmark.

Dezso Lovicsek, U0, Geography
Dezso Lovicsek is an undergraduate student at McGill University with a plethora of interests. His highly interdisciplinary program consists of studies in geography (with a concentration in urban systems), as well as a major in music. This summer, he will be working with the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program, where he looks forward to exploring the connection between community and environment, as well as gaining further insight into the field of environmental geography, a field which he believes is widely applicable in all areas of work and study.


Judy Patton Hamilton Arts Internship Award

Amisha Parikh-Friese, U2, Political Science
Amisha is going into her fourth year studying honours political science with a minor in communications. The Faculty of Arts Internship Award will support her internship with Equitas, the International Centre for Human Rights Education, which aims to advance equality, social justice and respect for human dignity. In this position Amisha will assist the coordination of the International Human Rights Training Program, a three-week conference which brings together human rights educators from across the world.
 

Deboleena Mazumdar, U3, Cognitive Science and Geography
Deboleena will be interning at the Regent Park Film Festival in Toronto. She looks forward to handling logistics and operations for the weekly film screenings held in the ethnically diverse neighbourhood of Regent Park, as well as training volunteers, including local organizations, and planning community outreach initiatives. She has a passion for urban design and interactive public spaces, and exploring urban experiences through photography and film. Her interdisciplinary combination of cognitive science and urban systems will serve her well in tackling the varied challenges of organizing the "Under the Stars" screenings.
 


Kostman Family Internship Award in Arts

Misora Enslein, U2, International Development Studies
Misora will be interning with Yahel Israel Service Learning, a non-profit organization that aims to respectfully assist disadvantaged communities in Israel. Misora will be able to work closely with communities in Haifa, Israel, and gain insight into the inner-workings of non-profits. As a student of international development studies, Misora is passionate about small scale, sustainable development, and looks forward to the opportunity to deepen her understanding of the field.


Lev Bukhman Internship Award 

Nicole Arski, U1, Honours Political Science
Nicole will be interning at the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice this summer in Accra, Ghana. She is looking forward to putting her passion for international and humanitarian law into gear, and experience a work environment that she hopes to one day find herself in as a humanitarian lawyer for the United Nations. At McGill University, Nicole is heavily involved in the International Relation’s Student’s Association of McGill.

Weiyi (Cindy) Chen, U1, International Development Studies
Cindy will intern with Academics Without Borders (AWB), a non-profit organization with a mission to support developing countries build capacity in higher education by sending volunteer professionals and academics on projects in the developing world. Her work will serve to enhance AWB’s social media portals and website. Cindy is excited to use her internship as a platform to gain more skills in marketing and explore not-for-profit work as a possible future career.

Chidera Ihejirika, U1, Economics
Chidera will be interning at EQUITAS, an international centre for human rights education in Montréal. As a student of economics and political science, she is highly interested in human rights and particularly ways in which the field of human rights can help marginalized people. She is very excited to promote human rights education to various professionals who will hopefully be able to implement these important tools in their respective environments.

Claudia Leung, U1, Honours Political Science
Claudia is a first year student studying political science, philosophy, and health geography. This summer, she will be interning with the Children of Bududa in Uganda, an NGO that provides vocational training, schooling, and micro financing programmes to vulnerable children, young adults, and working women respectively. She is looking forward to experiencing what the rural life has to offer, and to actively take part in the implementation of development projects.

Georgia Pearson, U3, Economics and Political Science
Georgia will be participating in Emzingo’s Global Impact Fellowship in Johannesburg. Emzingo creates social impact and leadership development projects. Georgia will be assisting South African NGOs and non-profits. She will complete a social impact consulting project focusing on sustainable development goals. Georgia is currently pursuing a double major in economics and political science. She is keen to pursue a career in international development consultancy and hopes to build upon the connections between her academic and professional work.

Sofya Voloshina, U2, International Development Studies
Sofya is completing her major in international development studies and a double minor in political science and Hispanic studies. She will be interning with Nexos Comunitarios, a Peruvian NGO that aims to facilitate responsible human development by assisting communities in building human and social capital. She will specifically work in the eNCounter program that will allow her to get experience on the field and learn from such projects as application of Multidimensional Poverty Index in the communities of Cuncani. Sofya is confident that she will obtain invaluable experience in the field of sustainable development and gain relevant professional skills.

Chelsey Weir, U2, Honours Anthropology

Chelsey will intern at the Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) in Tanzania. This organization specializes in the development, testing, and validation of innovations for global health. At IHI, Chelsey will support the research team through qualitative data collection and analysis as she discusses interventions for the prevention of mosquito-transmitted illnesses with local populations. Chelsey aims to pursue graduate studies in anthropology as well as medical school following her undergraduate degree, and believes that this internship is a significant step toward her future career.

Kyla Wills, U1, Environment and Anthropology

Kyla will intern with Third Millennium Alliance, a conservation organization that strives to preserve the last remnants of Ecuador’s coastal Pacific Forest and empower local communities to restore what has been lost. The internship will involve collaborating with TMA and the local community to design and implement a food security project, providing Kyla with an academically and professionally valuable opportunity to further her understanding of how conservation, community-based development and well-being intersect.


Max Stern Internship Award in Art History

Sophie Heisler, U2, History
Sophie is a Bachelor of Arts student pursuing a major in history and a minor in both art history and Arabic language. This summer she will be interning at the Darling Foundry, a visual arts center in Montreal that is focused on supporting the creation, production, and dissemination of contemporary art. Through working with the Darling Foundry, she is excited to be able exercise her passion for and contribute to the integral place of art in communities and across societies.


The McDonald, Currie Fund for International Management and Development Internship Award

Genessa Bates, U1, International Development Studies and Urban Planning
Genessa will be an intern with Third Millennium Alliance (TMA) in Camarones, Ecuador, an organization that is dedicated to reforestation, conservation, and community outreach. The internship was created through partnership with TMA and Nourish McGill, where Genessa serves on the Leadership Team. Genessa is looking forward to gaining experience working with a grassroots development project, learning about permaculture design and its benefits to the community and the environment.

Mallorie Bronfman-Thomas, U3, Honours International Development Studies and Psychology
Mallorie will be a Social Impact Consultant in the Global Impact Fellowship Program at Emzingo in Johannesburg, South Africa. She will complete a high-level strategy, research, or implementation project to help a social enterprise or non-profit organization achieve their objectives while bridging the for-profit and non-profit sectors to create sustainable models of social justice work. Pursuing a double major in international development studies and psychology, with a minor in African studies, this internship will help cultivate a deeper understanding of how to best use the intersection of these fields to create innovative solutions to systemic challenges.
 

Noelia Gravotta, U2, Environment

Noelia is a U2 student currently completing an environment and development degree. Her passion for understanding sociopolitical issues through an environmental lens has driven her to pursue studies in France, Egypt, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. She hopes to work in aligning high-level policy and NGO interests with the needs, aspirations, and local knowledge of communities.


 

Katie McClelland, U1, Joint Honours Islamic Studies and Political Science

Katie is pursuing a joint honours in political science and Islamic studies with a minor in Arabic language. This summer, Katie will be interning in Jakarta, Indonesia at the Language Centre at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah, an Indonesian university with strong values in Islamic higher education and academic research. She will be working as an English instructor for students and staff, providing administrative services, academic editing and language workshops. She is interested in building upon her previous ESL teaching skills as well as learning more about Indonesian Islamic culture. At the end of the internship, Katie will be writing a research paper on Islam and Democracy in Indonesia. 


The Richard B. Levy Arts Internship Travel Award

Kyra Kwak, U1, Gender, Sexuality, Feminist & Social Justice Studies and International Development Studies
Kyra Kwak is a U1 student majoring in gender, sexuality, feminist and social justice studies and minoring in international development studies, and will be interning this summer with the Department of Design of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF in New York City. She will assist with content creation and layouts for both digital and print materials to support UNICEF’s various campaigns. She is excited for the opportunity to combine her passion for graphic design with a humanitarian cause and gain firsthand experience in the nonprofit world.

 

Roland Arts Summer Internship Award

Fatou Chimere Degane Ndiaye, U2, Political Science and International Development Studies
Fatou will be interning with CHRAJ (Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice). CHRAJ is a constitutional commission based in Accra, Ghana dedicated to promoting practices of good governance and a culture of human rights among Ghana’s institutions and citizens. Fatou is a political science major, minoring in international development and sociology. She is enthusiastic and passionate about the study and practice of governmental institutions and the forces that shape them.

Jasmin Nicole Widmer, U3, Joint Honours Political Science and International Development Studies
Nicole will be interning at the Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee (IPACC), in Cape Town, South Africa. Through this internship, Nicole is excited to learn more about different modes of indigenous mobilization and organization. Having worked in this area in Latin America, she is intrigued to learn about the differences and similarities of these issues within the two regions.


Scott and Kristi Daniels Arts Internship Award

Victor Fradet, U1, Political Science and Economics
Victor will be interning in Paris at the Quebec General Delegation, Quebec diplomatic representation in France. Victor will help diplomats in their daily work during the French electoral period. This internship will provide him the opportunity to see how provinces try to influence at the global scale while being sub-federal units.

Elizabeth Solloway, U2, Political Science and Sociology

Ellie will intern with the U.S. Department of State at the U.S. Consulate in Edinburgh, United Kingdom this summer. After finishing up a semester abroad in Edinburgh in Spring 2017, Ellie is looking forward to understanding how diplomatic relations between countries can shape culture and values, particularly in this changing political climate. She is excited to apply her coursework to help understand the underpinnings of diplomacy.


The Susan Casey Brown Fund for McGill

Tamara Yang, U1, Joint Honours Political Science and International Development Studies
Tamara is in her second year, pursuing a joint honours in political science and international development studies. She will be interning with the Children of Bududa program in the eastern region of Uganda. Children of Bududa is an education program that supports one of the poorest areas in Uganda, where many of the children have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS. She is interested in the state’s role in development and inequality, but also believes in the importance of civil society actors. She hopes this internship will provide insight and practical knowledge to NGOs and educational development.


Tania Zouikin Arts Internship Award in International Development

Darina Blaszczyk, U2, International Development Studies
Dari is in her second year pursuing a major in international development studies with a minor in art history. This summer she will travel to Uganda where she will be an intern with WOUGNET (Women of Uganda Network), an organization that seeks to empower women in agricultural sectors through information sharing and communication technologies. She hopes that this experience will allow her to acquire a more intimate understanding of the socio-economic struggles women in developing countries face on a day-to-day basis. She hopes that she will meet and build lasting relationships with innovators, entrepreneurs, and advocates for women’s issues.

Edwina Booth-Clibborn, U3, History

Edwina is active in mentoring at the Kahnawa:ke Survival School, tutoring at a local Montreal under-served school, and volunteers specifically regarding the refugee crisis outside her courses. She is eager to engage with NGOs on a grassroots level and will intern at the Association for India’s Development Eureka Project Foundation that promotes sustainable, equitable and just development, on a research project pertaining to secondary education in Tamil Nadu.


 

Marine Colon de Franciosi, U2, Joint Honours International Development Studies and Economics

Marine will be interning with Elimu Impact Evaluation Center in Kianyaga, Kenya, an NGO founded by McGill economics Professor Matthieu Chemin. Elimu undertakes the impact evaluation of development projects using randomized experiments in order to identify the most effective ways of reducing poverty and inform policymakers. Marine is in her second year and is studying economics and international development. She has developed a strong interest in development economics and hopes to learn considerably from this internship experience.


 


Toten Family Arts Internship Award

Maria Thomas, U1, International Development Studies and Sociology
Maria will be working with the Association for India Development with the Eureka Child Foundation in Chennai, India. She is eager to work with the children from the Eureka schools. She particularly looks forward to creating the visual and audio aids programs this summer and curriculum development. Maria is grateful for this opportunity as it provides her a chance to see how education can be promoted in developing countries.


William Henry Kelly Social Work Summer Internship Award

Peter Nshimiyimana, U2, Social Work
Peter will intern in Dzaleka refugee camp, Malawi for Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS). JRS is an international Catholic organization with a mission to accompany, serve, and advocate on behalf of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons. Peter hopes to use his knowledge and skills from the McGill School of Social Work to assist refugees seeking psycho-social services and facilitate therapeutic support groups. He hopes to attend law school and become an immigration attorney.
 


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