At just 17 years old, Katrina Leclerc (BA 16) made a bold move—leaving her home in British Columbia to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Human Rights at The University of Winnipeg’s Global College, then the only institution in Western Canada offering such a program. But her journey into human rights advocacy began long before she stepped into a university classroom.
Growing up as a francophone minority in the Vancouver area, Katrina was surrounded by friends from refugee backgrounds, many of whom had fled conflict zones in francophone African countries. Their stories of hardship and resilience sparked early questions in her mind about privilege, injustice, and the randomness of circumstance.
“I couldn’t understand, as a child and adolescent, why I had such different life experiences to my friends, and why they had the misfortune of growing up in such a conflict affected context,” recalled Katrina. “I was trying to understand why some people have different privileges over others and how we don’t actually get to choose what privilege we have.”
A pivotal moment came during high school, when Katrina attended a program for refugees and immigrants. There, she met a young man who shared the harrowing story of witnessing his mother’s death in a refugee camp. His journey to Canada was not just a relocation—it was a lifeline.
That encounter shattered Katrina’s perception of the world as a peaceful place, one where everyone could live freely. It marked the beginning of a lifelong commitment to human rights and activism.
When it came time to choose a university, Katrina knew she wanted to learn more about the human nature of injustice and how she could play a part in addressing these injustices that continue to persist in the world. With the support of family and friends, she came to UWinnipeg Global College, completing a four-year degree in just three years.
UWinnipeg opened these doors for me to be able to develop relationships with people who have changed my life forever.
Katrina LeClerc
“UWinnipeg provided an understanding around the world and concepts of human rights,” said Katrina. “It also opened these doors for me to be able to develop close relationships with people who have changed my life forever.”
During her time at UWinnipeg, Katrina formed a close bond with her professors— especially Senator Marilou McPhedran, who at the time was the Dean of Global College. This mentorship extended far beyond the classroom. Katrina began working with Professor McPhedran as a research assistant and later followed McPhedran to Ottawa where she served as Parliamentary Affairs Officer, a senior role in the Senator’s office.
“I think something that many students don’t realize is that our professors are doing a lot more than just their teaching load,” said Katrina. “By being at the Global College and the human rights program, I was able to do a lot of impactful work outside the classroom.”
Active community engagement is heavily encouraged at Global College, and Katrina embraced those opportunities. She travelled to the United Nations in New York and experienced first-hand the human rights work done on a global scale. She also volunteered in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where she met a group of women who shared their experiences of sexual violence. Their strength and resilience were deeply moving and put into perspective concepts of suffering.
“It can be quite difficult and dark to see so much suffering. It’s hard to feel like you can’t take away suffering from individuals because of the systems in which we live. But by being able to share the space and have trust built between me and these young women, it pushed me to want to continue to work in the space of women and women’s rights.”
More than a decade later, Katrina remains committed to that work. She continues to collaborate with the same women who inspired her early on and is now pursuing a PhD at St. Paul University in Ottawa. An award-winning peacebuilder, published academic and globally recognized expert, Katrina consults on the intersections of the United Nations’ Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agendas.
Her latest book, Youth Leading Change: Emerging Site of Knowledge in Peace and Conflict, co-edited with scholars from Griffith University in Queensland, Australia, was published in October 2025. The first of its kind, this academic book centers on young peacebuilders as “knowledge producers”, blending academic research with lived experiences to provide insight and debate on issues around peace and security.
One of Katrina’s proudest moments has been returning to UWinnipeg as an instructor—teaching the very course where she first met her mentor.
“UWinnipeg gave me so much experiential learning and networking opportunities. Now I have the opportunity to give back—to help students build relationships and experiences that were so valuable in my learning journey,” said Katrina.
In a full-circle moment, Katrina invited Senator McPhedran back to the classroom as a guest lecture speaker. “It’s just fantastic to be able to share my own passion and excitement for human rights with students. One even told me this is the first time that they heard about human rights in a way that’s not boring; I’m taking it as a compliment,” she laughed.
“Students are hungry for opportunities to learn and to engage in this in the fields that they care about,” said Katrina. “In my opinion, the professors can be the gateway for those opportunities.”
The Global College Human Rights, an undergraduate program at The University of Winnipeg is the only program of its kind in Western Canada. The program fosters global citizenship and engagement in human rights, development practice, and peace and conflict studies through interdisciplinary teaching, research, dialogue, and action in local and global communities.
