Samuel Kamalendran, a Laidlaw Scholar at the University of Toronto, on expanding what he thought possible and finding purpose in shared ambition.
From researching assisted-dying policy in Canada to supporting a global public-defence organisation in New York, Samuel Kamalendran’s Laidlaw journey has pushed him to think about ambition in more than one way. His research expanded both his intellectual confidence and his sense of what he could take on, while his Leadership-in-Action experience with the International Legal Foundation showed him what ambition can look like when it is shared and directed towards service.
In the first of our Scholars on Ambition series, the University of Toronto Scholar reflects on those two sides of ambition, what they taught him and how they are shaping the kind of work he hopes to pursue next. Read his reflections below.
What does intellectual ambition mean to you, and how have you embodied it in your research or leadership?
To me, intellectual ambition is a two-faced coin: one side denotes a drive to expand one's knowledge and technical understanding, and the other addresses the much deeper level of the mind which concerns the boundaries of what we see as possible or achievable. Throughout university - and as a Laidlaw Scholar - I have had the chance to engage with both streams of intellectual ambition by accepting with open arms the opportunity to push against my limits and achieve a greater mastery of both knowledge areas and my own mind. One instance of my embodiment of intellectual ambition in the Laidlaw context was during the undertaking of my research project in the summer of 2025. I was privileged to conduct research concerning assisted-dying policy in Canada, a field I was very passionate about, especially as it intersected areas of thought central to my academic interests, such as law, politics, political theory, and ethics. This passion - along with my understanding of the privilege I had through the Laidlaw Foundation to engage in self-directed, funded research as an undergraduate student - served as an engine that guided me through the research process and inspired my ambition to pursue deep study of the subject, such as the policy's legal development and a comparative study with various other jurisdictions. On the other side of the coin, successfully taking on a long-term project, which required significant planning and execution, and facing the challenges that came with it, broadened the horizons of what I felt capable of - representing the realization of the intellectual ambition that concerns the deeper schematics of aspiration and self-belief.
In the UN’s General Assembly – a dream made true through the Laidlaw Foundation!
Ambition can mean being driven by a core group mission alongside aligned values. Have you ever worked in a team guided by a shared purpose or mission to create positive change?
This past summer, as part of my fulfillment of the Leadership-in-Action component of the Laidlaw Scholars Programme, I had the privilege of interning with the International Legal Foundation (ILF), a pro-bono public defense NGO based in New York City, with offices in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Being a part of the ILF epitomized the idea of collective ambition, where each member of the team was driven by a core mission underpinned by aligned values concerning expanding access to legal aid regardless of income, crime, or socio-economic background. I noticed the power and impact of this mission day after day. As an intern, I had the chance to be a part of meetings involving employees from our offices around the world, enabling me to hear from them firsthand about the impact they nurtured in their roles as legal leaders. Moreover, as a Communications and Advocacy assistant aiding with fundraising efforts and the launching of the Foundation's social media, I developed content with material from the ILF's archives, which captured the day-to-day life and operations of ILF's work in Afghanistan, the West Bank, and Myanmar. These "Day-in-the-Life" narratives, along with interviews of the ILF's fellows - foreign lawyers who train lawyers in the ILF's international offices - gave me clear insight into the passion fueling the intrinsic, personal mission of positive change that the ILF's team was driven by: to change the life trajectories of people, many of whom come from marginalized backgrounds, accused of crimes around the world. I was especially inspired by the Executive Director, a true heavyweight in the international legal community. From conversations with my colleagues, I heard tales which sounded like they belonged in adventure books - narratives which captured the bravery exemplified by the Director, a courage which very clearly was derived from her lifelong commitment to public defense. Being a part of this team taught me that ambition did not always need to concern revenue, attendance numbers, or grades; sometimes the greatest forms of ambition are characterized by a relentless pursuit of life-changing impact made on individuals, families, and communities. Contributing to such a mission left me with a pledge to ensure that pro-bono legal work is a part of my work in the future, to continue the legacy of leadership through service characterized by both the ILF and the Laidlaw Foundation.
With some members of the NYC ILF Team!
Some sightseeing in NYC during my LiA – standing on an observatory overlooking Manhattan!
If you want to learn more about Samuel's work, explore his research here and follow him on LinkedIn. Samuel is a Laidlaw Undergraduate Leadership and Research Scholar at the @University of Toronto . Become a Laidlaw Scholar to conduct a research project of your choice, develop your leadership skills, and join a global community of changemakers from world-leading universities.