Lia Iannarilli

Hello! I am a multidisciplinary designer and have been with the Laidlaw Foundation for over five years, working to strengthen our global Scholar community and amplify the impact of our programmes. My work lives somewhere between design, education, and anthropology, usually with sticky notes involved. I studied Human Sciences as an undergrad and recently finished a Master’s in Anthropology, both at UCL.  I am your go-to person for questions regarding alumni engagement and the Laidlaw Scholars Advisory Board. Born and raised in Kazakhstan 🇰🇿 Outside of work? Probably in the ceramics studio or a yoga class. Big fan of nature and very small bugs.

Hello! My name is Elliot and I am a student at the University of Toronto hoping to study law, history and political science. When I am not frantically writing essays I like to spend my time outdoors skiing, hiking, climbing, biking, running... you name it! I also love reading and writing and I hope to be able to publish some of my work one day! I am really passionate about social justice and advocacy and I hope to be able to use my skills to help those in need, whoever they are and wherever they may be! 

Hello, I'm Chiara! I'm a student of Political Science, Ethics, Society & Law, and Urban Studies at the University of Toronto. I'm incredibly interested in studying social movements, especially the more right-leaning movements formed recently in the internet age. In my free time, I paint and play video games!

As a student of Health & Disease, Immunology as Psychology, I am eager to pursue a career in medicine or research! I am deeply passionate about menstrual health 

Daniel is a Lester B. Pearson and Laidlaw Scholar at the University of Toronto's Trinity College, where he is pursuing a specialist in International Relations with minors in Economics and Political Science. Daniel's experience, skill set, and interests lie at the intersection of multilateralism and human rights. He has interned at the foundations of two Nobel Laureates (Gabo Foundation & Compaz Foundation), the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Colombia and, most recently, the Organization of American States (OAS). He has also served in multiple volunteer positions at the Canadian International Council, the Victoria Foundation, UWC Colombia, and CISV International. His studies, internships, and volunteer positions have led him to visit 23 countries. Daniel is an avid traveler and an amateur photographer.

Hello! I’m a psychology researcher and the founder of HaHaHelps, a nonprofit organisation developing and delivering a comedy-based psychosocial programme designed to support young people in residential care. I am currently completing an MSocSci in Psychology at the University of Cape Town, where my dissertation examines the feasibility of HaHaHelps programme with adolescents in South African child and youth care centres. My broader interests include youth mental health, psychosocial intervention development, implementation, participatory approaches, and the use of humour and play to support connection, emotional expression, self-efficacy, and coping with uncertainty. HaHaHelps grew out of my Laidlaw Leadership-in-Action project at SOS Children’s Villages in Cape Town, where I designed and facilitated an improv-comedy programme for adolescents. Since then, I have continued developing and delivering the programme with young people in residential care and am now studying how it can be refined, evaluated, and ultimately adapted for use in other communities and settings. Before this, my Laidlaw research at the University of Toronto examined relationships between childhood adversity, aggression, and self-regulation. I’d love to connect with other Laidlaw Scholars and alumni interested in youth mental health, social impact, intervention development, social entrepreneurship, or simply finding creative ways to turn research into something useful in the world.

Hello! I'm Tyler Carriaga, a recipient of a full-ride merit scholarship at the University of Toronto, where I'm pursuing a Masters in Geography. Drawing from my multidisciplinary and multicultural background as an American-born, Vietnam-raised Filipino, I approach questions of place, identity, and community with a global perspective. My Laidlaw projects include research on ethnic enclave development in Seattle and program development in an urban poor community in Metro Manila. As a writer, designer, and urban wanderer, I strive to continually evolve my personal and technical skills in the pursuit of co-creating healthier, more sustainable, and just communities.

My name is Alice (she/her) and I have just finished my first year at the University of Toronto studying Cognitive Science, and Philosophy as a National Scholar. I am from a small province called Newfoundland and Labrador, but studied for two years at Pearson College UWC in Victoria, British Columbia. I am really passionate about mental illness - specifically about how our conception of mental illness shapes the way we treat people with mental illness in medical institutions, and in society. I am also very invested in the climate justice movement. 

Hi everyone, I am thrilled to be joining the 2024 Laidlaw Cohort. I am an incoming third-year undergraduate student studying Political Science and Psychology at the University of Toronto, and my hometown is Edmonton, Alberta. Some of my hobbies include music, volleyball, hiking, and making new friends. Shoot me a message and I would love to get in touch!

Hi everyone! My name is Lilah and I am going into my fourth year at the University of Toronto studying Economics and International Relations. I am deeply passionate about climate justice, and am particularly interested in exploring how public policy can be used to mitigate the climate crisis.

Hello! I'm Petrina and I'm currently studying philosophy at the University of Toronto. As a member of the 2024 Laidlaw Scholars cohort, I am interested in philosophy, specifically philosophy of religion and phenomenology.