The Interns

Maegan Baird is a fluently bilingual French Canadian hailing from Welland, Ontario. Since the age of twelve, Maegan can remember being extremely interested in both law and politics, which led her to pursue a BA (Hon.) in political science at McMaster University. During those years she volunteered with various organizations including an after school tutoring programme as well as with a community legal clinic. She has since completed her MA in international relations and public policy and is looking forward to being part of the 2009-2010 Ontario Legislature Internship Programme.

Leslie de Meulles was raised in Sudbury, Ontario. She has completed the Humanities program at Carleton University with concentrations in English literature and philosophy. During her undergraduate degree, she had the opportunity to go on exchange both to China and Wales. Most recently, she has completed an M.A. in political theory from McGill University where she was a research and teaching assistant. While at McGill, she was also was able to complete an internship at the International Center for Transitional Justice in New York City as part of her coursework. Leslie enjoys travelling, running, playing ultimate frisbee, playing music and cooking in her spare time.

Paul Di Ianni is from Hamilton, Ontario. Paul attended Sheridan College where he graduated with a co-op Diploma in Computer Science and upon graduation worked for a marketing research firm for 3 years. Never being one to shy away from pursuing goals, Paul returned to school where he recently completed a Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Political Science and a Masters of Arts in Political Science and Public Policy from McMaster University. At McMaster Paul worked as a teaching assistant and, in addition to his studies, has interests that include politics, travelling, reading, soccer and spending time with family and friends.

Christiana Fizet grew up in Ottawa and Lennoxville, Quebec. She completed a Bachelor of Honours in History and Political Science from Trent University this spring. In 2007, she traveled to South America where she spent the year living in a small indigenous community teaching English and sports. Upon returning to Canada, Christiana began volunteering at a New Canadians Centre and has worked for two years as a host, tutor and organizer for new Canadians. She speaks English, French, Spanish and some German. Her academic interests lie in postcolonial studies, popular education and issues of citizenship and multiculturalism. She is an avid cyclist and plays the guitar. Following the internship, she hopes to study refugee and human rights law.

Matthew Gray was born and raised in Maple, Ontario just north of the City of Toronto. He graduated from Queen's University with a BA (Hon) in Political Studies and Philosophy. There, Matthew developed a passion for all things political, and is greatly looking forward to an exciting year at Queen's Park. He was a member of the Queen's Model Parliament, enjoys playing tennis, traveling, and spending time with family. After the Internship Programme, Matthew hopes to attend law school and perhaps spend time studying abroad.

Yuliya Khraplyva was born and grew up in Ukraine, arriving in Canada in 2003. She earned a BA (Hon.) from York University, majoring in Law and Society with a minor in Psychology. In addition to her academic pursuits, Yuliya enjoyed volunteering as an academic peer advisor and participating in a competitive dance team. She has dedicated her last few summers to improving her French Language skills through immersion in Quebec. Yuliya is looking forward to OLIP and is interested in seeing how it will influence her intention to pursue the study of law following the programme.

Aviva Levy, a Toronto native, graduated from McGill University (2009) with a B.A. in Canadian Studies and Sociology. In addition, she spent a year studying Hebrew and Middle Eastern politics at the University of Haifa in Israel. A lifelong political junkie, she devoted much of her undergraduate career to both studying and working in the Canadian political sphere. As a student, she was a founding member of the McGill Political Issues Club. Over the summer, Aviva worked on policy issues at the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. A devoted non-fiction bookworm and travel enthusiast, Aviva is thrilled to be a part of the 2009-10 OLIP team.

Beesan Sarrouh grew up in Ottawa, and is very excited to be a part of the OLIP team this year. Beesan earned a Bachelor of Humanities and Political Science at Carleton University, and a MA in Political Science at the University of Alberta, where she also was a Teacher's Assistant and MA representative for the Political Science Graduate Student Association. Beesan's work experiences include completing a research and writing placement in the Program Development department at Covenant House Headquarters in New York City, an organization that helps homeless youth in North and Central America. Outside of her academic interests, Beesan likes to travel; swim and hike; watch live music; and go on adventures with her friends.

Jonathan Trentadue grew up in Toronto, and completed his BA (hon.) from the University of Toronto. While working towards his undergraduate degree, Jonathan worked extensively for the John P. Robarts research library, as well as volunteering with the UofT multi-faith centre initiative. He would continue his educational career at McMaster University, where he completed his MA in Political Science, with a specialization in Public Policy and Administration. Some of Jonathan's interests include reading, travelling, cooking, and the study of classical history. Jonathan is honoured to be part of the 2009-2010 OLIP team.

Natalie Tutunzis is originally from Markham, Ontario, however, for the past five years she has resided in Hamilton, Ontario to complete her studies at McMaster University. Natalie received a BA (Hon.) with a major in Political Science and a minor in Theatre and Film Studies and most recently completed an MA in International Relations. In her fourth year of study, Natalie was invited to participate in the writing of a forthcoming publication dealing with issues related to arms control. Apart from academics and a love for politics, Natalie's interests include studying film, keeping fit, travelling and she would someday love to get back into her passion for acting.