Giving to Queen's

Ways of Giving

Dear Queen's Supporter,

What can be accomplished in four years?

Well, in my four years at Queen's two of my proudest accomplishments are participating in dialogue about positive change in the Middle East and advocating for human rights through the arts. And how could I forget – I also earned my degree!

I came to Queen's to learn and think, but also to discover and do.

I knew studying at Queen's would prepare me to make a difference in the world after my graduation, but I didn't want to wait. I wanted to make a difference while I was a student.

I also knew that Queen's, thanks in part to the support of donors like you, empowers students to do just that!

Opening dialogue about peace in the Middle East

In third year I travelled to Israel to participate in a unique program. With the philosophy of "nature has no borders", my fellow participants and I practiced shared management of ecosystems as a platform to talk about peaceful coexistence.

Together with Israelis, Palestinians and Jordanians, I made an organic garden, built a compost system and learned about beekeeping. The farming helps feed people living in the area and the environmental education is very important, but the truly unique opportunity is the peace

I'm really interested in intersections between human rights and the environment. This program gave me practical experience and had a significant impact on me and my plans for my future.

Advocating for human rights through the arts

peacemakers To explore a different way of communicating about human rights and encourage important dialogue, I directed Queen's Vagina Monologues this year. We added a new scene featuring Queen's and Kingston experiences to include topics that are important to current feminist activism such as same-sex marriage, body image, and the reality that violence against women doesn't always happen "somewhere else".

The Monologues sparked conversations on campus, challenging both men and women to think about gender equality. I was so inspired by the success of using dramatic art to advocate for human rights that I'm now working on a production based on archived newsletters published by the inmates of the women's penitentiary here in Kingston. I hope our production will start conversations about the treatment of inmates in Ontario.

Making a tangible difference

Queen's is a community of people imagining together what the future can be, and working together to realize it. And I've been honoured to participate in some of these groups.

I am graduating this spring. People ask about my plans now that I'm headed into "the real world". As a student I've already been in the real world, making a tangible difference in the lives of people both locally and globally.

And that won't stop after graduation. I have an internship with Amnesty International this summer where I'll start my career advocating for human rights.