Originally from Sudbury, Ontario, I have made Ottawa my home for over a decade for university and then to start my career.   I received my Juris Doctor (Cum Laude) from the University of Ottawa and my Master of Arts from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University in 2012.  I was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2014.

 
Before beginning my legal career, I worked with UNESCO in Bangkok, Thailand, where I researched human rights in the context of HIV/AIDS in Southeast Asia among vulnerable high-risk populations.  Following that opportunity, I worked for Citizenship and Immigration Canada for two years, where I focused on health operational policies, quality assurance, and risk management.
 
In both my academic and professional life, I am a strong supporter of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) rights, both here in Ottawa and around the world.  I have spoken at international conferences on SOGI Rights and HIV prevention, both here in Canada (Quebec City and Toronto), as well as abroad (Thailand and Indonesia).  I have published several articles in peer-reviewed journals.    I was also a member of the Safe Landing Fund, a not-for-profit association in Ottawa that helped sponsor and resettle a gay Syrian refugee.

 

When I am not working, I enjoy traveling, especially in Asia, and love learning new languages. I am functionally bilingual, and I have conversational level Spanish and Japanese. I enjoy graphic design and playing piano.   I have also completed the annual MS Bike Ride four times so far, where my team cycled from Ottawa to Cornwall and back (about 200km round trip over two days) raising money for Multiple Sclerosis.   I look forward to doing it again!

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