As I reflect on my upbringing, I realize that I didn't often ponder the reasons behind the economic, emotional, and health struggles that many in our society face. I held a naive belief that Canada was a meritocratic society, where the government's role was to provide every Canadian with the opportunity to improve their quality of life. I mistakenly thought that if a Canadian’s quality of life was poor, it was solely their fault for not working hard enough, as I trusted the government to act in their best interest.

However, my viewpoint changed once I started following Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign in 2020. He would argue that American politicians act in the interests of wealthy campaign donors and lobbyists instead of their constituents. His rationale is that wealthy campaign donors and lobbyists spend thousands of dollars helping American politicians become elected. Once these American politicians are elected, they legislate in the interests of their donors, who spent millions of dollars to get them elected. They are also motivated to legislate on behalf of their donors because their inevitable elections will require additional funding. Without that electoral funding, these politicians would risk losing the power, income, and status they hold. Bernie Sanders argues that this financial dependency between wealthy campaign donors, lobbyists, and American politicians prevents constituents’ needs from being prioritized, allowing societal struggles such as economic inequality, lack of affordable healthcare, and environmental degradation to perpetuate. 

​In Canada, third parties can spend $500,000 in political contributions annually outside of election cycles, and $1,700 plate campaign fundraising dinners are common among Canadian politicians during election cycles. These campaign financing options allow the wealthiest Canadians to take advantage of the exponential influence they can obtain in our political system. Bernie Sanders’ belief that the American government acts in the interests of wealthy campaign donors and lobbyists instead of the average citizens becomes very tangible in a Canadian context, given our electoral campaign financing laws.​
Realizing that the Canadian government does not always act in the best interest of the average Canadian was a pivotal moment for me. It ignited a deep-seated desire to contribute to positive social change and enhance the material well-being of Canadians. While there are many paths to this goal, I have chosen to pursue a law degree and a career as a lawyer as my way to address Canada’s social inequality. ​