While her professional and personal lives have been interspersed with particularly difficult moments, Kristen has remained a model of determination.
A first significant sad event: the death of her friend, mentor and thesis supervisor, Ian Kerr, in August 2019. She still feels this enormous loss every day.
Then, the pandemic started, and with one-year-old twins at home, she had to interrupt her own research because she had to care for her children and continue teaching. The trials didn’t stop: In the final stages of her thesis, one of her twins, then three years old, was diagnosed with leukemia.
Kristen says she was able to persevere thanks to an incredible network of people. “All the members of my thesis committee, as well as the Faculty of Law support staff, professors and other students were incredibly supportive and understanding,” she adds.
Professor Kerr had a high opinion of Kristen and her work. That’s why he made sure before his passing that she could continue her project under two co-supervisors, Professors Teresa Scassa and Jennifer Chandler.
“Kristen is a wonderful choice for valedictorian. She has produced a wonderful dissertation and joined us in the ranks of legal academia, all while navigating major life challenges. She embodies not just academic excellence, but also the fortitude that so many of our students demonstrate in pursuing their goals in spite of what are often very significant difficulties.” ― Professors Teresa Scassa and Jennifer Chandler.