Labour Studies student Mikayla Mifsud says her time at McMaster was defined by personal growth, close-knit friendships and a strong sense of community built through her classes and extracurriculars. Through involvement in student groups across the McMaster Student Union (MSU) and Faculty of Social Sciences, she explored her interests, developed as a leader and helped lead the McMaster Mooting Society to a national championship at the 2025 Osgoode Cup.
Mifsud will begin her Juris Doctor at Osgoode Hall Law School this fall, with plans to pursue a career in legal advocacy. Here’s what she had to say ahead of her June convocation:
How has McMaster shaped the person you are today?
Studying at McMaster shaped me in many ways and became the place where I really grew into my own. Through clubs in both the MSU and the Faculty of Social Sciences, I was able to explore my interests and meet the people who became my closest friends. Importantly, I made some of my favourite memories in these clubs and with such people. These experiences and friends have shaped me into what I think is the best version of myself. Leaving McMaster, I am much more accomplished, confident and happier than before I started, thanks mostly to the people that I have met throughout my four years.
Tell us about a favourite memory during your time at McMaster.
One of my favourite memories at McMaster would have to be from the first semester of fourth year, when my classmates from my Labour Renewal seminar and I hung out at the Westend after one of our night classes. Labour Studies is a small school, which lends itself to having incredibly tight-knit cohorts, such as mine. Truthfully, not much went on at the Westend that night, but it is one of my favourite memories because it illustrates how a diverse group of fifteen (or so) of us went from complete strangers to good friends in a matter of four years. Just sitting around, talking, and laughing with some of my favourite people became a core memory of my time at Mac. For me, something as simple as hanging out at a McMaster staple like the Westend after class exemplifies the university’s great social culture, which greatly shaped my experience.
What was your proudest achievement at McMaster?
My proudest achievement at Mac is most certainly the McMaster Mooting Society’s performance at the 2025 national championship, the Osgoode Cup. I had taken over as president in my third year and spent many hours with the team preparing and practicing for the tournament over the course of many months. I’m very proud to say that my teammate Helen and I won the championship that year. Importantly, McMaster had the most teams of any school in the country qualify for the elimination rounds. Seeing the team’s hard work pay off as it did was incredibly rewarding. The experience solidified my desire for a career in legal advocacy and taught me the importance of leadership in developing a strong team that builds on one another’s strengths. I think everyone on the team that year was able to support and learn from one another, and I am incredibly proud of what that environment produced.
How do you think it is going to feel crossing the convocation stage?
It will feel bittersweet, I think. On one hand, crossing the stage represents the completion of my undergrad, a huge accomplishment in my life, and all of the work put into that. However, it also represents the end of my time at McMaster, a part of my life that I have enjoyed more than I can express in words. I loved so much about my experience at McMaster, from learning in the classroom, getting to know my professors, taking part in extra-curriculars and volunteering, and making friends in my program, courses and clubs. It will be tough to know that walking across that stage means the end of this chapter, but it will be equally exciting to know that another chapter is starting, one that builds off what I have learned from the last and one surrounded by the friends that I have made at Mac.
Who will you be thinking about when you cross the stage?
I will definitely be thinking about everyone who supported and encouraged me throughout my undergrad, such as my friends, family, department staff and professors. I have made some of the best memories with the friends I have met at Mac, which really made my experience great. I also have been supported greatly by both the staff and professors of the labour studies school (and others too!), which has been incredibly influential for me. Of course, I’ll also be thinking about my family, who have been cheering me on since the beginning and who have been my greatest support.
What do you see yourself doing in the future?
I know I’ll be practicing law. I’ll be headed to Osgoode Hall Law School this fall to start my Juris Doctor. I’m interested in union-side labour law, given my background in Labour Studies, but I am also quite interested in criminal and constitutional law. This summer I am working for a Crown Attorney’s office as a Legal Secretary, which has reignited my interest in criminal law. I know that I am interested in litigation, and that I would like to do it as much as possible. Through my experiences with the McMaster Mooting Society, McMaster Mock Trials and activism, I have developed a love and appreciation for oral advocacy. I’m not too sure which area of law I will end up in, but in ten years, you can be sure I will either be at trial or on it.
What’s a great piece of advice you’ve been given that you think other students could benefit from?
The best piece of advice I was given before I started university was to make the best of it. University is one of those things that is really what you make of it. If you want to try all sorts of new things and meet people, it is the perfect place to do so. That being said, you have to take some risks and put yourself out there to make the most of it, but it’s ultimately worth it. I wouldn’t trade the experiences, memories, and friends I have made at Mac for anything, and that is the type of thing you have to really find for yourself. Go try out for a sports team, even if you only do it for a year (like I did), go join a club, go volunteer for a campaign you just learned about, go out after class and hang out with your friends! If I could say anything to an incoming Mac student, it would be to take advantage of the vast number of opportunities at Mac to both meet people and try new things!
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