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Chiara McLean, a 4th year Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) student at Conrad Grebel University College based at the University of Waterloo, is passionate about global affairs. As Chiara began studying at Waterloo, she knew her educational path involved a Political Science major and Communication Studies minor. In her first year, Chiara heard a friend mention they were enrolled in PACS 101: Peace is Everybody's Business and that it was an interesting course. Curious to know more about PACS, she enrolled in PACS 201: Roots of Conflict, Violence and Peace and PACS 203: A History of Peace Movements in her second year of undergraduate studies. In her third year, she decided the program would complement her academic plans. With an interest in international relations and affairs, Chiara sought opportunities through co-op and volunteering that were challenging yet rewarding. 

Peace is not just a theory for Maria Lucia Zapata Cancelado (DPCS 2001); it is a daily mission. As a Colombian lawyer and peace scholar, Maria is the Director of the Institute for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution at Javeriana University in Bogotá. Her work at the Jesuit school focuses on restorative justice and post-conflict peacebuilding. Maria earned her PACS diploma from Conrad Grebel University College in 2000, where she developed an interdisciplinary approach that reshaped her perspectives on law and peacebuilding. 

Alice Chu is accustomed to winding roads. Now an attorney and an entrepreneur who franchises bakehouse Hazukido throughout Canada, Alice’s experience studying at the University of Waterloo provided a foundation for the pursuit of her interests.  

Alice, who attained a Bachelor of Arts and Business in Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) in 2018, recalled starting her degree as an Economics major. As her interest in Economics waned, she decided to take several courses from other programs. While in PACS courses, she “felt like the instructors and the professors were invested in their cohort and in their class.” Alice sought community during her time as an undergraduate student, and intimate class sizes were an important aspect of her undergraduate experience. The class sizes, alongside the program being aligned with her skillset, later motivated her to declare a PACS major. 

She found the PACS program provided solid ground for approaching co-op jobs and opportunities during her undergraduate degree: “I think through learning and honing in on skill sets during our academic semesters and then transitioning to the workforce, they were building blocks. As I matured, as each co-op placement came, I felt more confident in my communication skills and being able to advocate for myself,” Alice said. Her classroom experiences helped her understand how to transform conflicts at work as they arise, and how to mitigate future conflict-related challenges. By strengthening her ability to communicate, Alice was able to navigate building relationships at her co-ops and beyond. 

Alice appreciated courses that offered new perspectives and outlooks on the world. Courses like PACS 327: Cultural Approaches to Conflict Resolution, taught by Professor Nathan Funk, was one favourite.  

“What I like about PACS is that you have room in an academic and supervised environment to explore,” Alice noted. “We're still learning different things and building our skill set, but you also had the breathing room to really explore things that interested you that are related to the world.” 

Her interest in different cultures and a world outside of Canada inspired Alice to participate in the university’s international exchange program in Singapore. Since then, she has frequented Singapore at least once a year. That exchange also led Alice to the realization that risk-taking is an integral part of navigating life choices. For Alice, “having the foresight of understanding that there will never be a time or a moment in your life where you relive this moment,” allowed her to pursue her goals with a spontaneous spirit. Alice’s zeal for travelling ultimately influenced her to pursue law school at Bond University in Australia. 

While Alice’s academic career gave her a starting point in terms of how to communicate and understand individuals, her years in entrepreneurship strengthened this skill set. Through experience she found that, while it is not possible to rein in everyone in times of chaos or conflict, the human-to-human dynamic and learning how people communicate has been a fulfilling part of her journey. Entrepreneurship has allowed Alice to enhance her communication and soft skills first discovered in the PACS program.  

Alice’s skillset subsequently supported her professional career in family and estate law. While articling, Alice gravitated toward family and estate and had an “inkling of how people should communicate” based on her prior course work. "Law is easier to navigate based on my skill set and all the things I have acquired from my undergraduate degree and from my life experience," Alice shared. 

Reflecting on her time as a PACS undergraduate, Alice believes that “in order to have a fruitful life - a purposeful life - you have to have certain things that you anchor towards when there is conflict - when there is hardship.” Holding her personal values of integrity, empathy and kindness high, Alice finds staying true to one’s value system can support students in their post-secondary career. 

Alice’s wish is for “students, especially young students, and also women, to know that so long as you have confidence in yourself, and you believe in yourself, it doesn't really matter what kind of winding road you go on, as long you feel that it's fulfilling and you're living true to who you are.” 

By: Samira Abdillahi 

The journey of figuring out what you want to do after high school isn’t linear, and Abigail Persaud is an example of how seizing new opportunities can lead to the most profound experiences of self-discovery and impact. As she completes her final term of her undergraduate degree at the University of Waterloo, the experiences she has gained through her time at the university have provided a strong foundation for her to be a part of the meaningful change that Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) alumni are making around the world. 

Abigail Persaud, a 4th-year Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) student, explored global opportunities through the Beyond Borders program at St. Jerome’s and completed a co-op term working abroad in Uganda. The Beyond Borders program provides students with an international service-learning experience where they can explore new cultures and discover alternative perspectives and ways of life around the world. She worked with Reach One Touch One Ministries (ROTOM) in Mukono, Uganda, a non-for-profit organization that supports international fellowship to provide care to older adults and the grandchildren that depend on them in both Uganda and Ethiopia. As an Intergenerational Support Worker, she provided direct hands-on support in Uganda.  

Her experience working abroad gave her a new perspective on how she approaches work and how peace and conflict studies can fit into that. As a local student from Waterloo, she had never lived this far away from her family and had to navigate a new job and country all at the same time. There were a lot of complexities that came with her experience aboard. However, despite the challenges associated with working and living in a new country, she reflects positively on how she was able to approach different situations with grace and understanding, something she credits learning from her PACS’s courses. Although new experiences can be intimidating, they provide the biggest opportunities for learning and growth and that’s exactly what she experienced.  

One of the most memorable moments of her internship was being welcomed into the homes of the people in Uganda and getting to learn about their stories and experiences. As a part of her job, she would write stories of impact about how ROTOM positively influenced their lives. “They were so excited to speak with me and just listening to the things they have overcome in their lives is something I will never forget,” she expressed. This helped her to realize how much she enjoyed being on the ground and getting to experience the culture first-hand.  

During her time abroad, she got to speak to a group of 70 students about the importance of her education and how it impacted her life and her community. “It was a very special moment for me to speak as a woman who is pursuing university education to a group of students who were so excited to hear me speak and learn from my experiences.”  

As a PACS student, Abigail took a variety of courses that helped her succeed in her co-op placement abroad. Working in a new country with a different set of cultural values can be challenging and difficult to navigate. One course in particular, PACS 323: Negotiation: Theories and Strategies, taught her how to speak to other people in the workplace and being able to meet the needs of both parties when communicating. “When I was in Uganda, I was exposed to a different culture in a different work environment and being able to communicate my needs in a professional way was one of the most valuable skills I used while working abroad,” she explained. The thing that makes the PACS program so valuable is its versatility and applicable nature in a variety of areas and situations.  

Abigail is set to graduate this June and believes her time in the PACS program has set her up to make real meaningful change in her community. “PACS helped me to expand my perspective and discover my passion and excitement for serving the needs of my community and I hope to continue doing that after graduation.” Wherever her future takes her, the experiences she has had in the PACS program will continue to have a ripple effect on our community and beyond. 

The Conrad Grebel University College community is pleased to highlight some notable students who are graduating this week. These students have demonstrated academic excellence throughout their degrees and are recognized for their hard work and achievement in their respective fields.

Fueled by her passion for mediation and advocacy, Zoe knew the Master of Peace and Conflict Studies (MPACS) program at the University of Waterloo offered her the perfect opportunity to deepen her knowledge and create meaningful change. After earning her undergraduate degree in social justice and peace studies, she began exploring new opportunities and fell in love with the program and the warm community at Grebel. The small class sizes and seminar-based courses were a big part of what shaped her decision.

“It’s not just ideas about peace, Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) gives you the tools to know how to make it happen in your community and the world”, says Willow Carmount, a recent graduand of the Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) program at the University of Waterloo. Her journey at the university began as a Social Development Studies student, however after taking her first PACS course, she knew immediately it was the perfect program for her. She felt empowered to challenge the way she sees things; something she was not getting from her other courses.

On March 12, 2025, three University of Waterloo students based at Conrad Grebel University College competed in the Annual C. Henry Smith Oratorical Speech Contest established by the late C. Henry Smith in 1974. Each student presented their speech to a panel of judges along with an audience of staff, faculty, and students. Teena Faust, a second-year Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) and Philosophy student, was awarded first place and a cash price of $1000. She will represent Grebel and the University of Waterloo at the bi-national speech competition later this year. Ella Funk, a fourth-year creative and professional writing student, won second place and a cash prize of $500. Finally, in third place, winning a cash prize of $300 was Lucas Shumaker, a third-year international student studying environmental engineering.

If there’s anyone who likes breaking down barriers and seeing what’s on the other side, it’s Benny Skinner (BA 2019, MA 2023). They are a human rights advocate, award-winning rugby player on an inclusivity-driven Premier League team, and Indigenous Research Advisor who positively affects the world through activism. Benny’s commitment to social justice was enhanced by Conrad Grebel University College’s Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) program, the place where they learned how to challenge and change a society where injustice runs deep.

B.B. Adewusi initially accepted her offer in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Waterloo, however, her journey would lead her through three different faculties, ultimately deciding to pursue an arts degree with a major in Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS). Her decision was driven by the practical benefits of the PACS program and its significance in making a positive impact on students and the world. Finding a program that was meaningful and intellectually stimulating was important to her. She felt that the other faculties could not provide the unique opportunities and perspectives that PACS offered.