Greetings past, present, and future Laidlaw Scholars! I'm coming to you from New York City on the East Coast of the United States. I'm currently completing my Leadership-in-Action project with the International Legal Foundation, a non-profit focused on strengthening pro bono legal support for the accused around the world. With my LIA just starting, I'm already looking forward to what it has in store, and can't wait to keep you all updated on my journey!

Getting Started + International House

I landed in NYC on May 26 after a brief flight from Toronto. Given that I was situated in NYC, finding housing was frankly a search that was equal in time and effort to the process of finding an LIA! Fortunately, I was accepted to stay at the International House NYC, a private residence center that caters to international, graduate, and visiting students, among others. After taking the M60 bus to Upper West Manhattan, I checked into the center and explored the residence's two buildings and amenities. With a rich history of creating community for students of various backgrounds through copious events and programming, along with a fantastic old residence aesthetic, IH is really the perfect place to stay. The staff have all been super kind and the food in the dining hall has been delicious! What I especially love about the residence is how it's filled with unique and extremely fascinating individuals. During my time here, I've intentionally sought out copious new connections, and have found every individual to be a mosaic of experience and interests!

Getting to Work

A few days before the internship started, I had the chance to meet the ILF team — including the Executive Director, HR Manager, and Communications Director — and my fellow interns for an orientation via a Zoom meeting. The event allowed us all to review the mission of the ILF and what was expected of us as interns. I also learned that I would be working alongside a fellow 2025 Laidlaw Scholar from Columbia University, Taylor Lynch, whom I had met at the 2025 North American Conference at Brown University, which was a cool surprise!

Coming into the internship, I knew that I would be working on the ILF's communications team, and thus tentatively named my project "Justice Through Creative Advocacy," to highlight the ILF's focus of expanding access to legal aid while also highlighting my role of creatively spreading the news of their work. On my first day, I was able to learn more about my exact duties, and engaged directly with my supervisor to discuss potential opportunities. Such opportunities (much to my delight) will include trips to United Nations events in NYC for committee meetings and events (more to come on this in next week's log!).

I also had the chance to become more acquainted with the work and accomplishments of the organization, as I began to review past reports which would be transformed into social media posts and content. These reports were especially significant to me as they outlined the work of the ILF to a degree which went beyond the decent but quite basic knowledge of what I understood the ILF to do. The reports specifically explored the ILF's roles in defending children (in Tunisia) and women (in Myanmar) in the criminal justice system, and articulated critical reasons for the continuation of such legal efforts while also quantitatively measuring their success, which truly spoke to the meaningful, large-scale impact of the organization.

A unique aspect of my LIA has been the non-profit environment and style of the work I’m doing, especially as this is the first time I’m contributing to such an environment in an in-person, long-term setting. Even when faced with variables that can impact it, such as changes in funding or international geopolitics (especially as it sometimes works in politically-unstable regions), it is truly inspirational to see how the ILF is a considerable force of power that causes real and positive change around the world. Working with its staff has been a true pleasure, especially when hearing stories about their relentless dedication and collaborative efforts!  

As of now, I have two key projects which I have been working on, both under our Communications Director, Leah.

Firstly, I will help to organize the ILF's Donor/Network Database by conducting research into individuals the organization has interacted with in the past. This task has been quite enjoyable as it often involves researching individuals to obtain the most up-to-date and accurate information on them, and as many of them are associated with the legal, international service, and academic fields, it has been a career-facing educational experience to learn more about them.

Secondly, I will leverage my journalism and writing experience to create fictional, composite stories which combine aspects from real cases the ILF has worked on, while properly concealing identifiable and non-disclosable information.

Getting Acquainted with NYC

One of the best parts about my LIA is its situation in one of the most interesting cities in the world: New York City. I first stayed in the city in August 2025, during which I became acquainted with the ambience of the city, along with its more technical aspects, like its public transportation. I also had the chance to take a comprehensive tour of the city my first time around. This experience has proven to be very valuable, as it set me up quite well for my LIA by enabling me to transition without worrying about settling into a new city environment. I look forward to continuing my adventures in the city, and specifically paying an overdue visit to the Museum of Natural History, which I had skipped in favour of the Museum of Modern Art during my last visit. :)

I also had the chance to visit the largest New York branch of my church (which is governed by the same leadership system that oversees my home church in Mississauga). Having been in contact with the ministers there, I had the chance to attend church on Sunday in Yonkers, meet with the ministers, and also travel to upstate New York for a house meeting. I'm grateful for such a large, international church family, which provides a base of support for many travelling students!

My time in NYC has been fantastic so far, and I look forward to what the next five weeks have in store!