Human Rights Alumni of the Month Profile- February 2026

Mon. Feb. 2, 2026

Emily Rempel (she/her) graduated from the University of Winnipeg in 2017 with a four-year BA in Human Rights and a minor in Spanish Studies.

Her interest in human rights was sparked by her small-town upbringing in Carman, Manitoba, where she was inspired by her town’s commitment to community and felt a deep desire to channel that same commitment towards understanding and addressing global challenges.

She chose to pursue a Human Rights degree at Global College because of her passion for helping others and her desire for tools to help create positive change. She was drawn to the program's interdisciplinary structure and appreciated how completing her degree in Winnipeg allowed her to experience the city’s diversity and offered real-world opportunities to understand and address pressing local human rights challenges.

Throughout her studies, Rempel had the opportunity to engage in both academic learning and practical experiences that were key to shaping her career path, including participating in field courses. Her most impactful field course was to Colombia, where she learned about historical and current challenges impacting Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities as well as rights-affirming initiatives.

Rempel completed an international practicum in Guatemala where she worked with Asociación Pop Wuj, an organization that provided health and educational services to rural Indigenous communities in and around Quetzaltenango (and whose work is continued today through a new organization, 32 Volcanes). Rempel highlights how doing an international practicum taught her invaluable lessons about ethical development work and community engagement that have continued to influence her career in human rights and law. She credits these experiences as solidifying her commitment to human rights work.

Rempel describes her time in the Human Rights program as instrumental in her journey to becoming a lawyer, explaining that it taught her how to approach conflicts with greater empathy and understanding. Reflecting on how the program shaped her career, she shares,

“The Human Rights program teaches you how to think differently, how to think creatively, how to think beyond just yourself and your own lived experiences.”

Rempel’s experience in the Human Rights program gave her a clear sense of direction and purpose, while also providing opportunities to develop the skills that contributed to her success in both law school and her legal career.

After completing her degree, Rempel worked as an investigator for the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, where she was responsible for investigating discrimination complaints under the Human Rights Code (Manitoba). She went on to pursue a law degree at the University of Manitoba, graduating in 2021. Rempel then articled and started her practice at a private law firm in Winnipeg before transitioning to an in-house legal counsel position at the University of Manitoba in December of 2024. Rempel has stayed engaged in human rights work throughout her legal career, primarily assisting employers with navigating their rights and obligations under human rights legislation, workplace safety legislation, accessibility legislation, employer policies, and collective agreements.

Rempel encourages current and prospective students to take full advantage of experiential learning opportunities like the practicum and field courses, as these provide invaluable real-world insights. She also emphasizes the importance of networking with peers and professors, highlighting how these connections allowed her to develop meaningful professional and personal relationships.