We are very lucky to have Tamara join our team. Please let her introduce herself:
“My name is Tamara and I am excited to join Heron Law Offices as their new Legal Assistant. It’s doubly exciting as after almost five years of living abroad in the United Kingdom and four years in Montréal, I am returning home to Vancouver where I was born and raised.
I grew up in the Southeast Vancouver neighbourhood of Sunset, and it’s still my favourite local area to this day.
While studying for my Bachelor of Arts (Joint Honours) in Political Science and International Development Studies at McGill University in Montréal, I became interested in refugee law and international migration studies. Informed by my familial history, as my parents and sister came to Canada as refugees before I was born, I pursued migration-focused classes. I also wrote my honours dissertation on the US-Canada Safe Third Country Agreement. While at McGill, I also participated in various programs aimed at improving women’s participation in government. I was a 2017 delegate to the McGill Women in House program and a 2019 Daughters of the Vote delegate with Equal Voice, both fully funded and taking place on Parliament Hill. In my last year, I received a fellowship award to the Policy and Data Science program, affiliated with the Max Bell School of Public Policy. For the first time, I was exposed to the technical world from the lens of a social sciences student.
Following my undergraduate degree, I pursued a Master of Science in International Migration and Public Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), fulfilling a childhood dream of living in London. During my degree, I was involved on campus as a leader in the Student Partnership Committee and in my local Southwest London community volunteering at a food bank during the pandemic. At LSE, I won a departmental award for a policy lab project where I presented a proposal on how the European Union (EU) could better support refugee and migrant communities through entrepreneurship programs. My dissertation, investigating how Canada and the EU differ in their approaches to migration surveillance technology and public-private partnerships, was awarded the highest possible classification.
I sought to gain experience in the private sector and joined a boutique organizational consulting firm, honing my corporate intelligence and leadership development skills. I soon joined a fintech start-up and worked in both the strategy and public affairs teams. I led a number of projects there, ranging from public relations campaigns to policy engagement with UK and EU departments.
I moved back to Vancouver in late 2024 with my partner, and it’s been a joy to be near family again. I am grateful to everyone at Heron Law Offices for having me onboard and look forward to beginning my career in law.
Outside of the office, I enjoy outdoor sports, trying new restaurants, and baking for friends. Additionally, I can never say no to a pub quiz.”
Welcome abroad, Tamara!
