MGA Student Ambassadors
Meet Our Current MGA Student Ambassadors 2022-2023
To speak to a MGA Student Ambassador please contact mga.admissions@utoronto.ca
Aurelie Chapon
Aurelie Chapon grew up in Burkina Faso, where she witnessed her country’s challenges and difficulties regarding inequalities and insecurities. She is a first-year student in the MGA Program and has extensive knowledge in civil engineering and project management from her undergraduate studies at Polytechnique Montreal. After graduating, she worked for 4 years as a planner and project controller for multiple clients in; the public and private sectors. She has also volunteered at GLOWA (Global Welfare Association), a Cameroonian NGO that helps survivors of child trafficking get rehabilitation through therapy and aids with reintegration into society. Her desire to couple her interests in project management and global affairs has motivated her to pursue her graduate studies in international relations. She aspires to lead international projects in the realm of development by making inroads into inequality reduction and exploring innovative policies to accelerate growth in the African continent.
Giancarlo Da-Re
Giancarlo Da-Ré is a second-year student in the Master of Global Affairs program, completing a collaborative specialization and Environmental Studies with emphases in Markets & Innovation. Giancarlo graduated from McMaster University with a BSc. in Chemical Biology Co-op. In his final year of undergrad, Giancarlo was elected to represent roughly 27,000 McMaster undergrads as the 20/21 MSU President & CEO. After completing his tenure as president, Giancarlo worked within McMaster’s Office of Sustainability, where he developed McMaster’s inaugural Sustainability Strategy. Recently, Giancarlo worked at KPMG Canada as a Management Consultant Intern within their national healthcare practice. He is currently a Lupina Fellow within the Munk School’s Innovation Policy Lab, a Junior Fellow at Massey College, and the Director of External Affairs for the MGASA.
Catherine Despatie
Catherine (Cate) Despatie is a second-year student in the Master of Global Affairs (MGA) program at the University of Toronto. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Global Development Studies with a language certificate in Spanish from Queen’s University. During the third year of her studies, she partook in an international exchange program in Lund, Sweden, where she discovered a passion for international affairs, prompting her to pursue the MGA program at the Munk School of Global Affairs. Catherine recently completed her MGA internship at the Embassy of Canada in Madrid, Spain, where she worked in the Foreign Policy and Diplomacy Service, working behind the scenes of the 2022 Madrid NATO Summit. A proud Franco-Ontarian, she is a Fellow of the Baxter & Alma Ricard Foundation, an organization which grants fellowships to French-Canadian leaders pursuing graduate studies. Inspired by her extracurricular engagements and professional experiences in government and the international non-profit sector, Catherine hopes to pursue a career in international policy and diplomacy, with a focus on development and security. Her research interests include gender, feminist foreign policy, and resource extraction in the Global South.
Jordan Egan
Jordan Egan is a first year student in the Master of Global Affairs program at the University of Toronto. She completed her undergraduate degree bilingually at the University of Ottawa in International Development and Globalisation. During her undergraduate career she worked in the House of Commons and in the International Assistance branch of Global Affairs Canada as an analyst and junior program officer. She was also an avid participant in uOttawa’s Model UN Association. Her research interests include the humanitarian-development-peace triple nexus and she is interested in pursuing a career in project management for humanitarian aid. In her spare time she loves practising swing dancing, baking, and krav maga.
Antoine Fougere-Ramsamooji
Antoine Fougère-Ramsamooj is starting his first year in the Master’s of Global Affairs program at the University of Toronto. He graduated from McMaster University with a dual-honours undergraduate degree in Arts & Science and History as well as a master’s degree in History with a specialisation in European conflict and diplomacy. During his first master’s degree, Antoine did his major research project on the Treaty of Versailles and the public image of peace treaties within the context of international diplomacy and conflict resolution. Antoine’s passion for interdisciplinarity within his academic work reflects his ever-increasing research interests, which vary from popular fields like the history of European conflict to more obscure subjects, such as the colonial and post-colonial influences on traditional board games. A proud Franco-Ontarian and Torontonian, Antoine is excited to begin the next step in his academic journey at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.
Chloe Harle
Chloë Harle is in her second year of the Master of Global Affairs program at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Linguistics and French Studies at the University of Western Ontario and her Bachelor of Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Chloë has seven years of experience as a teacher in both public and private high school classrooms and four summers of experience as a Program Manager with international student travel and experiential learning. She worked this past summer for the International Organization for Migration in Türkiye providing support to humanitarian and sustainable development projects and initiatives. This year, alongside her studies, Chloë is serving as the Co-Chair for Path: Career Introduction and Exploration Series and as the Mentor Program Coordinator for Global Ideas Institute.
Yunji Hwang
Yunji Hwang is a first-year student in the Master of Global Affairs (MGA) program at the University of Toronto. She completed her undergraduate at University of British Columbia (UBC) in History and Law & Society. Upon graduation she worked for the Canadian Red Cross, in which she managed the Long-Term Health Equipment Loan program designed to provide free health equipment loans and maintenance to low-income seniors and people with disabilities. In her spare time she volunteered in multiple projects of which one was for the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at UBC, where she organized a panel discussion on conflict-related gendered sexual violence in Asia featuring three human rights activists and scholars. She also manages the Instagram account, “Commemorating Comfort Women”, dedicated to remembering the stories of the survivors of the Japanese military sexual slavery system during WWII. Her research interests include global development & inequality, transnational justice, and human rights, specifically in relation to conflict and sexual violence. She is also pursuing the MGA/MBA joint program as she aspires to use business as an effective tool to address world challenges. She is a swimming and dancing enthusiast and a huge gastronome who loves exploring diverse cuisines. With the completion of the MGA/MBA degree, it is her long-term goal to establish an NGO that can contribute to tackling gendered violence not only in conflict, but also in our daily lives.
Husaina Mustafa Lakdawala
Husaina Mustafa Lakdawala is a first-year student in the Masters of Global Affairs program at the University of Toronto. She completed her undergraduate studies at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) in Economics and Politics. During her undergrad she worked as a servicing mentor for the LUMS community service society and environmental action forum – both dedicated on improving the livelihoods of disadvantaged communities. She has work experience in designing e-learning courses and researching global information literacy for Edacumen, a multi-national educational consultancy focused on improving educational facilities in the world. Her research interests include innovation policy, South Asian politics and developmental studies. She is a fitness enthusiast and in her spare time she enjoys anything to do with the outdoors such as swimming, rowing and hiking. Currently, she is working as a communications and research assistant at the Innovation Policy Lab within the Munk School.
Ibtesaam Moosa
Ibtesaam (Ibtisam) Moosa is a first-year student in the Masters of Global Affairs program at the University of Toronto. She completed her undergraduate at Northwestern University in Communication with a specialization in Film, Media, and Integrated Marketing Communication. As an undergrad, she undertook independent research and went to Malaysia to conduct interviews with Rohingya refugees who had fled there after facing violence in Myanmar. She also served as the Vice-President of the Student Government, serving as a liaison between the student body and the administration. Since graduating in 2018, she has worked as a Communication Specialist at Ogilvy in Doha, Qatar, serving clients across government, academia, and businesses. During her tenure, she most prominently worked for the Qatar Research, Innovation, and Development (QRDI) Council, supporting them with implementing a 10-year innovation strategy nationally. Her research interest includes cross-border innovation strategies, global media impact on human rights, media policy and regulation, and Middle Eastern and South Asian geopolitics. An avid bibliophile, she enjoys writing, photography, video editing, and listening to podcasts on everything from start-up culture to true crime. She hopes to pursue a career in policy-making and social research surrounding Innovation Policy, Global Justice, and Global Development.
Keziah Ofori-Atta
Keziah is a first-year student in the Master of Global Affairs program with a background in Politics and French. Having worked in the media space for 2 years, she hosted (radio) discussions about the impact of social issues on marginalised groups. She has also participated in various kidney health campaigns in rural Ghana and is a strong advocate for mental health and gender equality. As a policy maker, she aspires to explore Innovation in African states and how Institutions in Africa can be restructured to contribute to the continent’s development. She describes herself as a ‘people person’ who loves to travel when she is not questioning the status quo.
Jingyao Qin
Jingyao (Felicia) Qin is a first-year student in the Masters of Global Affairs program at University of Toronto. She completed her undergraduate at Queen’s university, major in Applied Economics and minor in Mathematics. As an undergrad, she took part in an internship at KPMG in Nanjing, China in the summer of 2021. She participated in all phases of the audit, including planning, examining records, conducting fieldwork, completing audit working papers, and reporting. In 2020, She took an internship at economic and technical research institution, State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Company. She involved in managements of scientific and technological consulting projects. Felicia is currently a member of event department of University of Toronto Chinese Graduate Association. In her spare time, she loves traveling and reading to explore this amazing world. She is looking forward to pursuing a career in market research and consulting.
Basmah Ramadan
Basmah Ramadan is a first-year student in the Masters of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto. She completed her undergraduate at the University of Toronto in International Relations with a double minor in Political Science, and Critical Studies in Equity and Solidarity. Basmah has been part of the Muslim Students’ Association (UTSG) for three years serving as a director, Vice-President Social Advancement, and Vice-President External. During her time at UofT, Basmah has worked with different organizations, including the Arts and Science Students’ Union as an executive as well as the University of Toronto Students’ Union, as a director, to advance equity-based initiatives on and off campus. She is interested in exploring the local and global impacts of revolutions especially in regard to those forcibly displaced, refugees, and immigrants. Her interests pushed her to seek out roles that give back to the community which fuels her interests and aspirations in pursuing a career in the United Nations and Non-Government Organizations.
Anukriti Randev
Anukriti Randev is a first-year student in the Masters of Global Affairs program at the University of Toronto. She completed her undergraduate at Symbiosis Law School, Pune with a Bachelors in Arts and Law and has specialised in Public International Law. She has interned under the judge at the Supreme Court of India and has collaborated with various NGOs and think tanks to improve the status of civil rights in the country. She was the semi-finalist at the global rounds of the Monroe E Price Media Law Moot Court Competition, organised by Oxford University every year to raise the profile of freedom of speech and expression. She is a certified mediator and was the Vice President of an independent legal magazine’s networking division for two years. She is a certified yoga teacher who loves to travel and experience different cultures and food. She wants to pursue a career in human rights and undertake dedicated research in the area of women and child rights.
Hunter Rynda
Hunter Rynda is a first-year student in the Masters of Global Affairs program at the University of Toronto. She completed her undergraduate studies from McMaster University with a degree in Political Science, where she graduated with Dean’s Honours and Summa Cum Laude Distinction. Throughout her time at McMaster, she was an active member of several clubs including McMaster UNICEF, McMaster Pre-Law, and Smile Over Sickness. Hunter continues to volunteer after graduating in the Urgent Care Network for Amnesty International, raising awareness and advocating for those wrongfully incarcerated. Currently, she is working in the Human Resources Department at Buttcon Limited, focusing on policy development and implementation, prioritizing Diversity, AODA, Indigenous Peoples and other minority groups, and sustainability. Through studying at the Munk School of Global of Affairs, Hunter continues her passion for international relations with an interest in security, human rights, inter-intra state conflict, and geopolitics. When not working or studying, she enjoys traveling, skiing, and learning new languages. With Hunter’s passion, integrity, and personal commitment, her goal is to pursue a career in security and development.
Grace Wang
Grace Wang is a first-year student in the Master of Global Affairs program at the University of Toronto. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Western Ontario with a specialization in Chemistry. During her undergrad years, she worked as an Analytical Chemist and also had the opportunity to study abroad in Konstanz, Germany to further broaden her understanding of German culture and improve her German language skills. Grace is currently working for the Canadian Armed Forces as a Military Officer, where she has held various positions over the past six years, contributing to Canada’s national security. In her second year, Grace will be taking MBA courses at the Rotman School of Management as part of the three-year combined MGA/MBA program. Grace is interested in learning about strategy, defense, and intelligence. She is happy to chat about the combined MGA/MBA program and her experiences so far in the MGA, specifically as someone coming from a physical sciences background.
Mitra Yakubi
Mitra Yakubi (she/her) is a second-year student in the Master of Global Affairs program at the University of Toronto emphasizing in Justice and Global Human Rights. She is currently doing a collaborative specialization in Public Health Policy at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health Policy. Mitra completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto Mississauga graduated with Honours of Bachelor of Science with a specialization in Biology and a minor in Sociology. Mitra is passionate about education equity, and public health. She is also passionate about advocacy and has worked throughout her undergraduate with many organizations, including the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union, National Council of Canadian Muslims, and Urban Relations on Race Foundations.
Mina Zahine
Mina Zahine is a first-year student in the Masters of Global Affairs program at the University of Toronto. She completed her undergraduate at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts in Anthropology with a focus on South Asia. While at Smith College, Mina channeled her passion for music into her weekly show at WOZQ, the university’s student-run radio station. She was also a member of EKTA, a South Asian unity organization. Mina has over five years of experience in strategic communications in both the public and private sectors, primarily in Afghanistan. Her research interests include human security, decolonization theory, intelligence gathering, and innovative governance practices. Her personal interests include curating the soundtrack to her life, seeing live music, and visiting museum and gallery exhibits. She is interested in a future career in development and security
