Scholars and Explorers - Trafalgar School for Girls

Wo m e n to Wa t c hWomen to WatchNaila Ramji 2002Attended Trafalgar: 1997-2002Education: BA cum laude (History and Science), Harvard University; MDCM, McGill University (expected)Field: Medicine/WriterNaila Ramji expects to receiveher MDCM from McGillUniversity in 2012 and willthen start her residency at MemorialUniversity in Newfoundland. On heracademic and personal journey, shehas merged her two primary interests– medicine and writing. This year, TheCanadian Medical Association Journalpublished her creative article Throwninto the Rose, about the medicalstudent’s clinical and emotionalexperience. In 2010 the CMAJpublished her article Light on theWards, another creative piece inspiredby her first exposure to palliative careas a first-year medical student. Havingthe opportunity to publish creative,reflective writing in the CMAJ hasallowed Naila to engage with a wideraudience, sharing human experiencesand important concerns for patientsand doctors-in-training. Her awardsand prizes include an Anton SegalFellowship at Harvard for purposefultravel abroad for eight weeks withthe intention of writing about the“awards and prizes includean Anton Segal Fellowshipat Harvard”experience. She travelled to andaround Turkey as field research for anovel, still in progress. At Harvard,Naila was Assistant Executive Editorand writer for the university’s Diversityand Distinction magazine. She wrotearticles and news briefs on social andcultural issues. Naila reaches out toothers in tangible ways off the writtenpage. She’s been a volunteer forProject Genesis, McGill’s CommunityHealth Alliance Project, anopportunity for medical students toengage with local organizations andhelp provide services to empowerimmigrants, refugees and peoplewith disabilities or low incomes. AsTeaching Coordinator of Harvard’sExperiMentors, Naila co-ordinatedteacher volunteers in Cambridgepublic schools. She also taughtscience to first-graders, fosteringenthusiasm, arousing curiosity andpromoting critical thinking. Nailareceived the Governor General’s andGovernor’s medals at Trafalgar whenshe graduated in 2002. For her desireto make a difference as a physicianand for her love of the written word,Naila has been chosen one of our 125Women of Trafalgar.Lisa LeRoy 2003Attended Trafalgar: 1998-2003Education: MSc (Human Rights), London School of Economics and Political Science; BSocSc Honours/Magna cum laude(International Development and Globalization), University of Ottawa; BCL/LLB, McGill University (expected)Field: Law/Human RightsLisa LeRoy is dedicated toimproving the lives of childrenaround the world. She iscurrently adding to the academicachievements that will furtherher efforts in human rights andinternational development. Sheexpects to graduate with a BCL/LLB from McGill University in 2012after a fall exchange at the Écolede droit de la Sorbonne (UniversitéParis 1). Winner of a CommonwealthScholarship in 2009 and a Top 20Under 20 award for leadership,achievement and innovation inCanada in 2004, Lisa was founderand leader of the Cedar Park Youthin Action Group of Free the Children,which raised over $30,000 to builda well at a primary school in SierraLeone. Lisa has worked as a resourcecoordinator for UNICEF at theUniversity of Ottawa, a speaker for“Top 20 Under 20 award for leadership, achievementand innovation in Canada”the Free the Children InternationalSpeakers’ Bureau and a volunteerteaching children numeracy andliteracy in Senegal, Ecuador andTanzania. She has worked as asummer student and intern invarious branches of the law. In 2010,Lisa reviewed case law related toyoung offenders and researchedlegal questions at the CanadianDepartment of Justice, as well asanalyzing good practices in juvenilejustice and European guidelines forconsistency with the Youth CriminalJustice Act. In a 2007 internshipwith the International Bureau forChildren’s Rights, she researchedbest practices in response to childtrafficking internationally. She hasbeen a clerk of the Youth Court,Court of Quebec, summarizing filesfor the judge in preparation for court,and as an intern with Project Genesisadvocating on behalf of clientswith welfare and other governmentagencies. For her dedication tochildren’s rights and her willingnessto speak for others who cannotalways speak for themselves, Lisa hasbeen chosen one of our 125 Womenof Trafalgar.Lisa Nobel 2003Attended Trafalgar: 1998-2003Education: MS (Epidemiology), McGill University; MD, University of Massachusetts Medical School (expected)Field: Medicine/ScienceLisa is currently in the Clinical& Population Health Research(CPHR) doctoral programat the University of MassachusettsMedical School. The program enrolls19 PhD students and six MD/PhDstudents selecting four to six newstudents each year. Lisa was oneof four accepted in 2011, the firstCanadian to be accepted to theprogram, which gives students “theopportunity to pursue epidemiology,clinical trials, and health servicesresearch as their doctoral work.” As afirst-year medical school student, Lisasought out UMMS for the availabilityof the clinical research track aftercompleting an MS in epidemiologyat McGill University. Lisa notes:“A physician scientist in clinicalresearch is able to direct researchto emphasize clinical relevance andto therefore enlarge the impact onthe health of individuals and entirepopulations.” She says that she isdrawn to epidemiological research“the first Canadian to beaccepted to the program”“because of its potentially immenseimpact on the health of both largenumbers and broad spectrums ofpeople.” For breaking ground southof the border in an exciting field andpursuing a field that can improve thelives of a wide range of people andpopulations, Lisa is one of our 125Women of Trafalgar.125 Women of Trafalgar | 45