Alumna aims to stop traffic
To say Jessica Corbeil is determined would be an understatement. Whether discussing her experience at MacEwan, her future in law or the global issues close to her heart, she is unwavering in her belief that she is on the path to changing the world.
“You need to have knowledge if you’re going to affect the world you live in,” she asserts. And knowledge she is gathering. The recent political science graduate is the first MacEwan student to be accepted into law school. She is now studying law at the University of Ottawa, where she hopes to focus on international law over the next three years. Her goal? To fight human trafficking.
“Human trafficking is currently the second-largest global organized crime,” she explains. “I knew it was a global issue, but didn’t realize the extent of it in Canada.”
Student projects ignite a passion
Over the past five years, Jessica has been educating herself on this crime against humanity, and finding ways to get involved in the movement to prevent human trafficking. It was one of the reasons she decided to pursue political science at MacEwan.
In 2006, Jessica was working on a project for a college class in Red Deer, researching global issues of injustice such as children of war and poverty.
“I would cry myself to sleep at night, thinking, ‘someone needs to do something,’” she says. “Then I woke up one day and realized that someone should be me. I started thinking about what I could do, and how I would get to where I could make a difference.” With her plan in place, she applied to MacEwan.
Earning her degree was a huge step toward her long-term goals, but Jessica attributes a lot of her growth and readiness to take on the future to her involvement in student clubs such as the UN Club and the MacEwan Ambassador Program. “There are so many opportunities just waiting for you,” she says. “If you want them, they are there for the taking.”
Through her role as a student ambassador, Jessica had the opportunity to complete a legacy project to raise awareness about human trafficking. Last March, she hosted her “Sold Out” event in the main foyer of City Centre Campus. The hour-long event featured a guest speaker from ACT Alberta and the performance of a song her friend wrote for the campaign. “I had so much support through the Ambassador program, and I’m so grateful for my experience,” she says. “I really feel that MacEwan allows you to figure out who you are, because there are so many opportunities like this to let you stand out.”
International experience strengthens commitment
Last spring Jessica visited Greece, a prime destination for human trafficking, and learned more about the A21 Campaign’s fight against the issue. She came away with some good friends and great contacts within the organization, and hopes to become more involved through an internship in the future.
With her law studies underway, Jessica reflected on how far she’s come and how much she’s learned along the way. “I know I will make a difference – I know I already have,” she says, before reciting a favourite quote:
“It is the nature of man to rise to greatness if greatness is expected of him.”
John Steinbeck may have written the words, but Jessica Corbeil is living by them.
