
Nineteen undergraduate students, including eight from McGill, will form the next cohort of McCall MacBain International Fellows.
Valued at up to $30,000, the fellowship provides students with the opportunity to learn a language, participate actively and respectfully in a new community, build lasting international ties, and deepen their ability to work in a different cultural context. Fellows will depart this summer, and during their year abroad will spend one term learning a new language, one term completing academic studies, and one term at a work or internship experience.
“John and I are delighted to announce the 2024 McCall MacBain International Fellows,” said Marcy McCall MacBain, Vice-Chair of the McCall MacBain Foundation. “It is necessary for Canada to invest in long-term study abroad experiences to a range of destinations. As a Foundation, we believe investing in programs that encourage cultural understanding will better equip the next generation of leaders with the breadth of knowledge and experiences they will need to succeed.”
“We hope that the fellowship will allow these students to experience the joys of being immersed in another language and culture and develop skills that will in turn have an impact on the ways they choose to lead in the future,” said Natasha Sawh, CEO of the McCall MacBain Scholarships offered by the Foundation.
The selection process for the McCall MacBain International Fellowships looks beyond academic achievement to examine students’ activities and pursuits in the service of their communities, their leadership experience, and their character. The Fellows attended a pre-departure orientation over three days at McGill’s Gault Nature Reserve in May and will have regular touchpoints with each other and with the Foundation team throughout the year.
The eight McGill Fellows selected will travel to Argentina, India, Costa Rica, China, Japan, Taiwan, Colombia and Uruguay. They are studying in a wide range of disciplines at McGill, including Teaching English as a Second Language, Religious Studies, History, Economics, Mathematics, Marketing, International Development Studies, Management, Anatomy & Cell Biology, and Social Work.
To recognize others who distinguished themselves during the selection process, the McCall MacBain International Fellowships also offered four McGill candidates grants valued at $6,000 to pursue an exchange abroad for one term next year.
Applications for the next cohort will open in October 2024 for departure in the summer of 2025.
Meet the McCall MacBain International Fellows from McGill:
Gabriella Braia Gratton: Montreal, Quebec
Studies: Teaching English as a Second Language
Fellowship year: Spanish in Argentina
Gratton uses language teaching as a means of strengthening connections between her students and their wider communities. Her curiosity and passion for language creates space for herself and her students to explore different cultural and linguistic heritages. Responding to the teacher shortage, she stepped into a full-time role within the Centre de services scolaire de Montreal and is now substitute teaching as she finishes her degree. As a queer advocate, she has also helped maintain safe spaces that offer gender-affirming resources and products for students on campus.
Keith Andre Baybayon, Toronto, Ontario
Studies: Double Major in Religious Studies and Political Science with a Minor in East Asian Cultural Studies at McGill University
Fellowship year: Hindi in India
Baybayon has served as Chair of the Youth Advisory Council and Member of the Strategic Advisory Council at the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Canada, contributing to policies around education and online safety. He was elected President of the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association, where he worked on inclusion initiatives for 2SLGBTQ+ students across Catholic schools. Prior to that, at just 16 years old, he worked and succeeded at getting recognition for Pride Month and the Pride Flag in Toronto Catholic Schools. He has continued to push for policy change in his various roles. At McGill, Baybayon is a floor fellow in residence, and he leads events for the McGill Policy Association, engaging students on key policy issues such as AI, health care and housing.
Madeline Williams: Vancouver, British Columbia
Major in History and a Minor in Psychology and Management
Fellowship year: Spanish in Costa Rica
Williams was a Girl Guide for over 12 years and worked to inspire the spirit of community service in other young girls as a volunteer leader with the Girl Guides of Canada. She grew up in North Vancouver surrounded by forests, with a love for the outdoors that she now shares with young campers, whom she provides support and leadership training as a volunteer counsellor with the Youth Excellence Society. Williams is also an athlete who works as a lifeguard and instructor at the local YMCA, has trained for half-marathons, is part of the McGill Ultimate Frisbee team and spends her summers exploring and camping.
Matthew Wahl: Waterloo, Ontario
Studies: Economics and Mathematics
Fellowship year: Mandarin in China
Wahl grew up in Waterloo surrounded by technological advancements and a deep-rooted sense of community. These perspectives have shaped his time at McGill, where he studies mathematics and economics while being co-president of the Meditation Club, building a space for students to connect and rejuvenate. He also works as a floor fellow in residence and volunteers to provide safe nighttime driving service for students. In high school, Wahl organized minicamps for CISV, an organization that delivers cultural and educational programming to promote peace. He worked as a data analyst last summer, gaining experience in data visualization and product management.
Mayra Baca El Hachemi: Montreal, Quebec
Studies: Management with a Major in Marketing
Fellowship year: Japanese in Japan
Baca El Hachemi is passionate about intercultural learning and creative arts. As President of K-Rave McGill, a Korean pop club, she used entertainment to foster connections among diverse students. She is a competitive dancer who manages people and conceptualizes dance showcases with large troupes, merging creativity with organizational skills. She has held various roles upskilling herself in graphic design and digital marketing and has increased visibility for the McGill Business Review through outreach and social media strategy. Baca El Hachemi is the founder of Maystick, a business that creates and produces unique sticker designs. She has worked part-time since 2021 as a graphic designer and digital marketing specialist.
Monique Machioudi: Terrebonne, Quebec
Studies: Major in Anatomy and Cell Biology with a Minor in Management
Fellowship year: Mandarin in Taiwan
Machioudi grew up in Chicago before moving to Montreal in primary school. She works as a hospital volunteer and research assistant at the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), where she assists patients and visitors with various informational needs and conducts outreach to participants for research. Previously, she worked at a psychiatric office in a Montreal hospital as an administrative assistant, helping schedule appointments, finding the right doctors based on patient needs and communicating with medical staff and patients promptly. Machioudi has also worked part-time as a cashier and has tutored high school students in French and science. Since coming to McGill, Machioudi has built connections in her new university community, including through the Black Youth Excellence Program organized by the Afrodescendent Leadership Alliance, which organizes workshops on networking and communications.
Sarah Ella Shijia Feng: Coquitlam, British Columbia
Studies: Major in International Development Studies and a Minor in Philosophy
Fellowship year: Spanish in Colombia
Feng holds various leadership roles, including Vice President of the McGill International Development Studies Students’ Association and the McGill Students for Open Door Montréal, where she enhances her knowledge of development issues and leads a student volunteering effort at a homeless shelter. Last summer, she worked as a settlement worker with Options Community Services, helping new immigrants find employment. Feng was also the Advisory Council Co-chair of the Canadian Advisory for Women Immigrants, a youth-led organization that empowers and advocates for immigrant women. Her interest in international development led her to the McGill Youth Advisory Delegation, where she served as a delegate to the United Nations focused on youth-centred policy and advocacy. Feng enjoys playing water polo player and coaches a local Montreal team dedicated to the queer community.
Sarah Ratelle: Montreal, Quebec
Studies: Social Work
Fellowship year: Spanish in Uruguay
Ratelle’s passion for helping underserved populations has led them to be highly engaged in community-building, social work, and advocacy on and off campus. While at Cégep Marie-Victorin, Ratelle co-founded an LGBTQ2S+ committee and advocated for safe spaces, including a gender-neutral washroom, while organizing charity and recreational events to help members bond. They currently volunteer at Maison d’Hérelle, providing social and physical support to residents living with HIV/AIDS. Ratelle participated in a cultural immersion experience in Vietnam where they studied Vietnamese, taught English, and worked at a local lantern shop. Upon returning, they continued learning the language and worked at the Vietnamese Community Resource Centre in Montreal. Ratelle was also an AAA-level swimmer.
About the McCall MacBain Foundation
The McCall MacBain Foundation’s mission is to improve the welfare of humanity by providing scholarships and other educational opportunities that nurture transformational leadership, and by investing in evidence-based strategies to address climate change, preserve our natural environment, and improve health outcomes.
The Foundation has made significant investments in the leadership potential of young people, most notably through the McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill, the Rhodes Scholarships, the Loran Awards, and scholarships at several universities in Canada including McMaster University and Dalhousie University, as well as the Mandela Rhodes Scholarships based in South Africa and the Kupe Leadership Scholarships in New Zealand.