Kaila McGuinty and Elle Penner  are two third-year pre-law students at Queen’s University who are combining their passion for law and justice with a commitment to fundraising for Indigenous sovereignty — sound familiar? As Co-president and Fundraising Director of Queen’s Pre-Law Society (QPLS) Kaila and Elle found a natural fit to start raising funds for RAVEN, specifically our Ontario-based Breathing Lands campaign.

For both these students, QPLS offers more than just networking opportunities. As Kaila shared, “QPLS is one of the few pre-law societies at Queen’s, and it essentially gives students the ability to engage in different events and meet people with similar interests who are interested in pursuing law.” She added, “I’ve always wanted to get into human rights law or nonprofit law, and this honestly combines my passions.” 

Both Kaila and Elle have played a significant role in QPLS’s fundraising efforts for the Breathing Lands campaign. As Elle explained, fundraising for RAVEN aligns with the club’s values, “we say a land acknowledgement at the beginning of all our events, but when you’re able to back your words and your events with real hands-on action, it goes a lot farther.”

“One thing that has been so great about working with RAVEN is that we’re able to have a great relationship with the RAVEN team, we get a lot of engagement and transparency from you,” Kaila noted — not to mention being able to fundraise for a campaign that is local to Ontario helps to bring the connection to the work they are doing. 

The sense of community and connection that is fostered amongst the RAVEN community is something both Kaila and Elle have been enjoying as they reflect on the impact of their fundraising work over the past year. Kaila says, “It’s very empowering…organizing things that actually make a difference in legal cases and Indigenous sovereignty in our country and our province.” 

And, for Elle, the relationship with RAVEN brings additional depth to their efforts. “The conversations really are what matter. We can take the information the RAVEN team shares with us and share it at our events and with other students. It’s been so great working with RAVEN.”

One of the most successful fundraising initiatives organized by QPLS is a headshot event, designed to provide students with professional photos for LinkedIN profiles and other networking purposes. As Kaila pointed out, the key to effective fundraising is figuring out what the community you’re fundraising within actually needs.  “We’ve found that our best success comes from things that are tied to the field of law…like our headshot event, because everybody wants those updated LinkedIn photos.”

In addition to practical skills, the students are also gaining valuable lessons in teamwork, financial responsibility, and organizing events. “Those are lessons that they don’t teach you in class,” Elle said. And for them, it’s just the beginning. They plan to expand their impact beyond student-centered events and hope to engage alumni, local law firms, and law students who can contribute more to the cause. 

Looking ahead, both Kaila and Elle are excited to continue their journey in law, with more awareness about transforming the justice system to uphold Indigenous rights. For Kaila, learning about Indigenous sovereignty and law has deepened her commitment to challenging colonial systems: “Law is something that governs us all, but it’s not perfect, and there’s a lot of historical implications that haven’t changed…we need to be open to change.”

As the partnership between the QPLS students and RAVEN grows, the students are proving that they can make a meaningful impact, even as undergrads. And as Elle said, “It’s really empowering to think that we’re contributing to Indigenous sovereignty in whatever small ways we can.”

One thing both QPLS and RAVEN knows? Fundraising is more than just raising money; it’s about deepening relationships, creating change, and growing the movement for Indigenous justice.