Emma Girvan: Bachelor of Arts, Criminology
Carleton’s criminology program is about more than just the three ‘Cs’—crime, cops, and corrections. It’s about exploring the deeper social, economic, and systemic factors that influence people’s paths through the justice system.
That mission came to life for Emma Girvan during her field placement with the Pinecrest Community Health Centre in Ottawa.
“I came to understand how the different factors in peoples’ lives increased the likelihood of them being involved in the system,” says Girvan, who worked at a community house supporting struggling families through a food bank and after-school programs. “I could see those struggles play out with the risk factors we talked about in classes.”
Girvan also had an impact on campus. She was elected president of the student-led Carleton University Criminology & Criminal Justice Society (CUCCJS) and was lead editor of Crime & Ethos, Carleton’s undergraduate criminology journal.
In addition, she earned a minor in American Sign Language.
“Through the program at Carleton and its passionate staff, I was able to learn about and understand Deaf culture, and this knowledge and awareness will assist me as I further my education and career,” says Girvan.
Her academic and extracurricular achievements earned her the prestigious title of Provost Scholar for the Faculty of Public and Global Affairs for 2025.
Girvan will be heading to Osgoode Hall Law School in September with the ultimate goal of becoming a criminal defence lawyer — advocating for those whose stories are shaped by many of the same forces she studied.
But she will maintain fond memories of her time in Criminology.
“The criminology department is small, supportive and passionate. It definitely had a community feel and I loved the faculty.”