May 29, 2017
Class of 2017: Grad sets off to change the world, one policy at a time
That day back in high school, Leah Schmidt had no way of knowing that going to a meeting after class would change her life. 鈥淚 was dragged to a Model UN meeting by one of my debate partners,鈥 says the new Faculty of Arts grad. 鈥淚 fell in love with this whole system of international diplomacy and international relations that I never knew existed.鈥
Earning top grades in her double major 鈥斅爄nternational relations and women鈥檚 studies 鈥斅爓as just part of the enriching experience she had over the next six years at the 草莓污视频导航. Schmidt worked with about 10 different organizations, holding executive roles with four different clubs and co-coordinating the Students' Union Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity.
But the very first thing she did at the university was sign up for the campus Model UN. 鈥淲hen I joined the team in my first year I was very shy,鈥 says Schmidt. 鈥淚t was quite small and a little bit disorganized but full of amazing people. And it was fun, so I stuck with it.鈥 Schmidt joined the executive, eventually becoming president, and helped grow the club 鈥渟ix times over.鈥 It became one of the top 50 teams in North America in 2015, beating even Princeton.
And then, this last semester, she ratcheted from the Model UN to the real deal, working as a junior political adviser co-op student with Canada鈥檚 Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York City. Schmidt helped support Canada鈥檚 work on the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, as well as the United Nations Commission on Disarmament.
鈥淚t was a pretty cool opportunity,鈥 she says. And while she鈥檚 realistic about 鈥渕ajor setbacks鈥 in geopolitical affairs, she believes 鈥渢he world can be improved and we can achieve equality and we can achieve more pragmatic inclusive policy solutions. You have to believe in something bigger.鈥
That鈥檚 exactly what Schmidt has always done, says Dawn Johnston, associate dean (teaching, learning and student engagement) in the Faculty of Arts. 鈥淪he is curious and hard-working and completely committed to social justice,鈥 says Johnston, who taught Schmidt and worked with her on campus social justice projects. 鈥淚 fundamentally believe that she is going to do great things in this world 鈥斅爈argely because she already has.鈥
Teri Jones worked with Schmidt in the university鈥檚 Leadership and Student Engagement office. 鈥淥ne of the things that I admire the most about Leah is that even though she has a million and one things going on at any moment, she has the ability to be completely with you,鈥 says the co-ordinator, orientation and first year experience. 鈥淪he鈥檚 very present and very committed.鈥
Schmidt is back from New York City and deciding where to pursue graduate studies in interdisciplinary gender studies and political science. Her options include a Fulbright to study at Columbia University and offers from Cambridge, Oxford and the London School of Economics.
As she looks back at her time at 草莓污视频导航, she鈥檚 more than grateful for that long list of extracurricular activities. 鈥淲hat you learn in the classroom is super important, but extracurriculars is how you get experience, how you connect with other students, and how you find out what you鈥檙e interested in,鈥 she says. 鈥淚f I hadn鈥檛 done extracurriculars I don鈥檛 think I would have known what I wanted to do or what I was capable of.鈥