I was born and raised in El Salvador. I grew up with an acute awareness of the socioeconomic and political issues that affected my country and region at large. In 2016, I moved to Canada to study a BA in International Affairs, driven by a desire to learn about and influence the international fora. Upon arriving to Canada, I quickly became involved in refugee and migrant rights advocacy, including through coordinating public education projects with UN agencies, and later publishing research on immigration policy with Canadian and US think tanks.
After graduating in 2019, I worked for 2.5 years at ParlAmericas, the institution that promotes parliamentary diplomacy in the 35 national legislatures of the Americas and the Caribbean, supported by Global Affairs Canada. There, I implemented programs and helped organize hemispheric summits to promote gender-responsive legislation and youth political leadership. This solidified my interest in International Affairs, as I witnessed first-hand the crucial role that diplomacy plays in advancing shared objectives among countries.
I decided to pursue my Masters at NPSIA in recognition of its strong faculty, networks, and curriculum. I had also worked with stellar NPSIA alumni who spoke highly of it. As soon as I received my Canadian Permanent Residence, and thus became eligible to pursue further studies as a domestic student, I submitted my application to the program. I am currently in my first year, pursuing the Diplomacy and Foreign Policy specialization.
I balance my studies at NPSIA with a full-time role as the Policy Analyst for Refugee and Migrant Rights at Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ). In this role, I set CPJ’s strategic direction and policy recommendations related to Canadian immigration, author policy briefs, op-eds and reports, organize advocacy campaigns, and participate in national coalitions of civil society organizations. While certainly challenging, I appreciate the opportunity to pursue my studies and work simultaneously, as it allows me to put the theory to practice.
I am also finding important areas of overlap. As part of my role at CPJ, I am writing a book on Canadian immigration policy, compiling the perspectives of key advocates and policy leaders across the country. My classes at NPSIA, including the Global Governance of Displacement course taught by Prof. Lama Mourad, are proving important insights and contacts that will further solidify the content of the book.
I think the study and practice of International Affairs is enriched by the perspectives of people from equity-seeking groups. I approach my studies at NPSIA aware of my positionality as a Global South citizen and believe that my life experiences and cultural awareness help me to be more effective. My advice to current and prospective NPSIA students from equity-seeking groups is to recognize, embrace, and communicate the distinct strengths that they bring to the table, which are certainly needed in the International Affairs field.