My Journey at OJEN: From Student to Staff
So, this is my fourth year at OJEN, but my first year as a full-time permanent employee!
My first introduction to the Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN) was in 2022. For the 2022-2023 academic year, I was selected to be one of 10 Justice Education Fellowship (JEF) students, representing Lakehead University’s Bora Laskin Faculty of Law. The JEF Program provides law and paralegal students with the opportunity to deliver justice education programs to young people in their local communities and high schools. You can read more about my experience as a Justice Education Fellow here.
In the Summer of 2022, I accepted a remote 14-week internship position as a Project Officer, funded by the Law Foundation of Ontario (LFO). This position involved a variety of tasks with both the Outreach and Educator Support departments. You can read more about this experience here.
In the summer of 2023, I returned to OJEN and was given more responsibilities and opportunities! I developed a lesson plan on the R v. Sullivan case. In addition, I co-facilitated OJEN’s Together 180 (T180) Program at the Cecil Facer Youth Centre (CFYC) in Sudbury, Ontario. You can read more about these experiences here.
Where do you think I worked in the summer of 2024? OJEN! After graduating from the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law, I was studying for the Barrister and Solicitor exams. So, I worked in a part-time capacity, assisting with the design and implementation of changes to OJEN’s website and a comprehensive strategy to recruit, train and retain volunteers.
OJEN strives to design and deliver a variety of resources and programs for high school students and diverse youth in communities, with the goal of building young people’s legal capability. Considering my personal experiences, I was eager to contribute to OJEN’s efforts to address difficult legal issues and introduce youth to the justice system. I know how difficult it can be to navigate the justice system without access to resources, especially for young people. OJEN’s resources and programs provide young people with opportunities to understand the justice system, increasing their ability to recognize and resolve legal problems.
I gained extensive experience communicating with legal professionals, conducting community outreach, public speaking, and developing plain-language materials, preparing me for my current role. Now, here I am, a Program Manager! I’m ecstatic to be joining OJEN in a full-time capacity, supporting the Educator Support Department.
My primary responsibility is coordinating the OJEN Competitive Mock Trial Program. I’m happy to announce that the 2026-2027 mock trial case scenario will be about arson: whether the accused intentionally set a fire to obtain insurance money! I cannot wait to meet and work with everyone involved in the mock trials, especially the young people, and to witness their dedication to playing the roles of the Crown and Defence and learning about the justice system.