Chances are, if you’re a student who is involved with various campus endeavors, you will have heard the name Garima Karia. This self described “fun and flirty” individual has made her presence known around McGill as the VP Communications of the McGill Political Science Students’ Asociation, Director of Outreach for the Model UN Delegation Team, Chair of SSUNS and Vice Chair of McMun. She also finds time somehow to contribute to the Bull and Bear as an opinion writer, and if that wasn’t enough, is a Sponsorship Director for McGill Women in Leadership and a Student Ambassador for McGill Women in House.
While this kind of a resume might seem overwhelming for people, Garima does this because it reflects what she is passionate about. However, knowing what she wanted to get involved with at McGill from the get-go definitely helped. “I came to McGill already excited about clubs and eager to get involved. While there were some activities, like Model UN, that I knew I wanted to engage in through IRSAM before I arrived, my academic program (Political Science, History, GSFS) pushed me towards joining the others.” She’s most passionate about the fact that by getting involved in all these intitiatives, she’s been able to combine her interest in politics and journalism with her passion and drive to advocate for women’s rights and empowerment.
The empowerment of young girls is something that is definitely close to Garima’s heart. “From a young age, girls are not encouraged to be outspoken, driven, and confident the way young boys are. To this day, the limited number of women in high-ranking political positions receives a disproportionate amount of hyper-criticism and, consequently, more young women are discouraged from pursuing leadership positions for that very reason,” she says. She believes that having women in student leadership is one of the ways to combat this. “It sets the stage for empowerment and opportunity after McGill. We need women to be involved in these high-profile positions in order to finally have diverse voices at decision-making tables – ones that represent the makeup of our student body and our world. Additionally, it’s important to have women in these positions serve as mentors to other women, particularly women who may be experiencing imposter syndrome at a school like McGill.”
One of the foremost examples of the need to empower women, for Garima, was the result of the most recent US Election. Garima says she was shocked by the result. “I was so excited by the possibility of an incredibly qualified and hardworking individual like Hillary Clinton being elected the first female President of the United States. I immediately thought about what my identity, as a woman of colour, would mean if I was a US citizen, and how the American Women of Colour community must be feeling”, she says. However, she also wants to emphasize that being shocked and disappointed without doing anything about it will only get us so far. “This election is a call to action for marginalized groups and their allies, and a sign that we should not and will not ever be silenced by hate, by bigotry, or by discrimination.”
One of Garima’s favourite aspects of her involvement so far has been working with PSSA. She describes her role as VP Communications to be very rewarding, since it allows her to make every aspect of political science more accessible for constituents. “From working with my translators and establishing an official PSSA archive to providing one-on-ones with professors, this position has emphasized the importance of making our department and all that we seek to accomplish accessible for the diverse political science student body.” It also helps that she has room to be creative in her role. She cites the listserv as her “favourite place to share political pop culture with recipients” and that it makes her day when someone tells her how much they enjoyed reading it.
Garima is very much a leader in the McGill community, and as such, tried to embody certain traits based on what leadership means to her. “A good leader creates other good leaders through empowerment and mentorship. Selflessly enabling those around you to reach their full potential is a trait that is important to me because I’ve been lucky enough to meet some incredible women mentors during my time at McGill, and I owe so much of my ambition and determination to them. My mentors inspire me to continuously strive to provide the guidance and support to aspiring leaders in my community, just as they did (and continue to do) for me,” she says. She also believes that a good leader recognizes that “we are all humans first.” “In the midst of hard work and juggling responsibilities, a leader who recognizes the importance of kindness, self-care, and empathy in leadership situations but also outside of them is someone who embodies the true spirit of leadership.”
If you’re like me, and wondering how you too can do it all, like Garima, she has some words of advice. “Meet people and ask questions – you’ll be surprised by how open, friendly and accessible so many of the student groups and organizations are on this campus. Seeking guidance from other women in leadership on campus is another recommendation of mine. It’s a great source of empowerment, and, although they may seem intimidating, there are so many wise, friendly, open women on this campus with advice to give and lessons to teach!”
Garima emphasizes that McGill is a truly unique place to be, and that she can’t think of anywhere better for a woman to hone her leadership skills. She also wants to be able to be a leader and mentor to others. “Though I’m only in second year and have lots of growing to do, feel free to approach me on campus or send me a message with any questions you might have about getting involved in any of the activities I do on campus!”
That’s an offer I definitely will be taking up.
Images provided by interviewee.