Natalie Zhang

MA GNDS 2020 

“I am Natalie Zhang. I graduate from the MA program at Queen’s Gender Studies in September 2020. I am also a single mother with two children, a convention refugee who experienced domestic violence in my home country. My personal experiences have altered my research interest in family justice.  My Master's program provided me with a placement position at the Children’s Aid Society in Kingston and other seminars on drug addiction mechanisms, global surrogacy industries, and etc.  Because of these frontier and first-hand researches, my knowledge of social justice in Canada has grown.  Furthermore, it is my blessing to have Professor Margaret Little as my supervisor.  She is such an amazing scholar in poverty studies in Canada and an advocate of gender equality and social justice. Professor Little is always sincere with her students.  She treats us as promising scholars and cares about us as human beings. Her support, compassion, and encouragement have greatly impacted me. As she says, not everyone has the privilege to read and write indoor for work. So we are obligated to make this society a little better for the vulnerable who are unseen and voiceless. She always believed in me when I doubted myself.  She is one of the key figures who lit up the road ahead of me when I was in a dark journey for such a long time.

Now I am a first-year Queen's Law student. I am a part of a charter challenge about Canada Child Benefit (CCB).  My lawyer hopes the law will be changed so I spoke out for the other refugee claimants who are excluded from the so-called universal CCB.  I learned from Professor Little about my responsibility.  I hope to study well and use my profession to help and empower others in the near future.”