Madison Pearlman

Madison Pearlman graduated in June 2013 with a 4-year BA in Human Rights and Global Studies and a minor in Conflict Resolution Studies. She then went on to obtain her Masters of Science in Refugees and Forced Migration Studies from the University of Oxford and came back home to Winnipeg to pursue her law degree at the University of Manitoba. She currently serves as Legal Counsel for the Law Society of Manitoba.

Pearlman’s passion for human rights and social justice began in high school. When she became aware that Global College offered a degree that would foster and expand her knowledge and understanding of human rights, law and politics, she knew it was the place for her. Being at a downtown campus, she was quickly exposed to, and encouraged to participate in, many important community initiatives – both on and off campus. Pearlman has true compassion for others, and has always been most inspired and motivated by the people she meets and works with, and the communities that have welcomed her.

Community became an ongoing theme of her time at Global College. She was actively involved on the Global College Student Advisory Council (GCSAC) – where she ended up making connections with colleagues that would turn into lifelong friendships. On GCSAC, she worked with students in various years and academic programs, facilitated seminars on current and complex events and met human rights practitioners and advocates from around the world.

Reflecting on her experience, Pearlman says, “Global College fosters a true sense of community and community-minded individuals through discussion-based classes, dedicated space for students to meet up between and after classes, and local and international practicum opportunities.”

This allowed her to become more engaged and informed on multifaceted issues affecting different communities in different places, to challenge and expand her own views, and ultimately find her own voice on issues that she connected to most: access to justice, inclusion and equality, and newcomer issues.

The research-based courses and research assistant positions offered through Global College inspired Pearlman to pursue graduate studies and use research and writing as advocacy tools, which she continues to use and refine to this day: “Now, as a lawyer, I apply the foundational critical thinking and advocacy skills that Global College’s multidisciplinary degree helped me to cultivate. Through my experiences at Global College, I learned a career in human rights was not only possible but it is also a personal and professional journey - one that is always evolving, shifting, challenging and rewarding.”