Duncan Crabtree

A Politician in the Making

Duncan Crabtree’s journey with the B.E.S.T. Project started even before he began his studies at Bishop’s University. When he was in high school, he came to Bishop’s and went on a campus tour given by a student ambassador. A while later he attended a reception event in his hometown and met up with that same student. He talked about the B.E.S.T. Fund, and the initiative intrigued the then-high schooler. At that moment, Duncan knew that this was an opportunity he would want to strive for once he began his undergraduate education.

Now finishing his second year at Bishop’s University, the 19-year-old History major applied for the B.E.S.T. Project and as a result will be working alongside Member of Parliament (MP) Marco Medicino in his constituency office in Toronto. Duncan will have hands-on experience in a political setting. “I will be part of the team by organizing town halls, drafting documents for the community to update them on their government and how they can have their voices heard”, he says, “The goal of the office is to reach out to them to explain policies and how district members can help each other”.

Duncan hopes this experience will help shed light on his future career. “I want to gain knowledge in how MP’s do their work and specifically what they do in their offices”, he says, “This project is also another huge opportunity to learn how regular people can get politically involved in their community and will allow me to discover my specific interests in Canadian politics”, he explains. He also aims to bring what he learns about working in politics to his fellow students. “I plan on creating a presentation for students taking the Canadian Politics class, and on organizing a Q&A for politics students to learn about MP’s and learn what a career in politics looks like”, he promises.

Duncan believes that experiential learning opportunities enrich the undergraduate education experience. He encourages students to put themselves out in the field and not to be afraid to discover something new. “Anytime you can get hands-on opportunities it improves the depth of your education especially when you hit the workforce”, he says, “Studying and working in a different environment to the classroom increases your desire to learn as a student, and helps you grow as an individual and citizen.”