Helping Political Science students shine

October 19, 2018

Laird Alexander Morris didn’t know if he’d ever make it to university. Left on his own at 16, he had to quit school to work. It was a decade before he was able to continue his education.

Today, Laird is a Political Science student at U of T, commuting by bus from Hamilton, keeping up an A average, and volunteering with refugees at his local public library. With the help of the Mary Keenan Award, a donor-funded scholarship, he was able to do a Summer Abroad at Oxford University.

Laird is just one of the dozens of brilliant students we teach at the Department of Political Science. Students like him rely on scholarships to fund their studies and fulfill their dreams of a U of T education. To reach their full potential, they need your financial support.

Your contribution today will allow us to increase the number of awards we can offer, creating more opportunities for our students to get an exceptional, well-rounded education.

Now in his final year, Laird is applying to law school. As a young man living on his own, he says he often felt taken advantage of by employers and landlords. “Those experiences hardened my resolve to become a lawyer. I’d like to be a crown prosecutor and pursue white collar crime—to make sure that those with power use it ethically, and those without power are sufficiently protected.”

Please take a moment to make your donation today. If you’d like to make a donation by cheque, please complete our gift form available here. You can support the department’s areas of greatest need by giving to the Political Science Opportunity Fund, or direct your gift to specific scholarships or funds.

On behalf of the Political Science community at U of T, thank you for your support.

– Antoinette Handley, Professor and Chair, Department of Political Science

(Copy provided by the Office of Advancement, Faculty of Arts and Science)