In my role as the IRPAA’s Communications Director, I spoke with four graduating students from the University of Toronto’s International Relations Program to reflect on their time in the program, the people and experiences that shaped their journey, and where they’re headed next. Each story offers a unique glimpse into the diverse pathways and possibilities an IR degree can lead to. 

Final outputs included a feature article published on LinkedIn and a series of short-form videos highlighting each student. Find the interview description of each student and link to the full articles below.

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Arlyn McAdorey

Arlyn’s journey in the IR Program looked a little different from his peers. Having juggled 70–80 hour workweeks as a freelance photojournalist in the Greater Toronto Area, Arlyn McAdorey decided to transfer from an aviation degree at Western University to the IR Program at the University of Toronto on a journey to better understand his subjects and the systems that shape their decisions. After completing his Specialist degree in International Relations, Arlyn looks forward to traveling more for his photojournalism career—just not for flying planes. Find out why in our full interview with Arlyn here.

Shane Joy

Shane Joy is graduating with a degree in International Relations, History, and Near & Middle Eastern Civilizations. As the first in his family to graduate from university, Shane credits his U of T experience not only for opening doors academically but also for helping him process personal family challenges that motivated his interest in studying public policy. He nurtures his passion for policy advocacy through campus leadership in capacity-building initiatives, meaningful conversations with friends, and his work under a city councilor at Toronto City Hall. After completing his undergraduate studies, he will pursue a Master of Public Policy (MPP) at McGill University this Fall as a McCall MacBain Scholar. Read more about Shane’s story here.

Lisanne Koehler

After completing her major in International Relations and double-minor in Political Science and European Affairs, Lisanne Koehler is heading to the London School of Economics this Fall to pursue a dual master’s degree in Public Administration and Global Affairs. Motivated by a strong interest in human rights and diplomacy, she found that the IR Program offered the tools to understand the complex intersections of economics, politics, and history that shape global affairs. Lisanne sought to translate her classroom learning into teach-in programs, workshops, and networking events at Hart House, where she worked as a work-study student in the Hart House Global Commons and served as Chair of the Hart House Social Justice Committee. But within and outside the classroom, she also cherished the company of good friends whom she met in one of two mandatory economics courses that all U of T IR students struggled with, ECO231. Learn more about Lisanne’s IR journey in our full interview here.

Nathan Feltmate

For Nathan Feltmate, undergrad has been an imperfect but transformative journey—one marked by challenging his own paradigms and embracing new ways of thinking. Through a range of on-campus research opportunities, he explored diverse topics including education policy, health policy, and global security. But it was his Reach Alliance research trip to Uganda that sparked his primary research interest: Africa-China economic relations. While Nathan is eager to continue exploring this topic—alongside many others yet to be discovered—during his upcoming master’s degree at the University of Oxford, what excites him most is joining a community of faculty and peers who will be equally as supportive as the one he has back home. Read our full interview with Nathan here.