CHRISTIAN VANDERGEEST WALKS down the bustling streets of Manhattan each morning, taxis buzzing by and a piping hot coffee in hand. Checking his appointments for today, he steps into the doors of the World Trade Center, presses the elevator button for the 51st floor. As the doors open to Freshfields, the global law firm where he works as a senior associate, he thinks back to where this dream started coming to life—behind the doors of professor emeritus Dr. David Koyzis’ lecture hall.
As a first-year student starting his undergrad at Redeemer University, Vandergeest had two goals: play varsity volleyball and find his calling along the way.
“I didn’t really have a plan when I came to Redeemer other than to play volleyball. I played for the team all four years. Back then, Wayne Harris was the coach. He was an excellent coach and a mentor,” he says.
Mentorship from Redeemer faculty would prove to be key in Vandergeest’s journey of forging a future path. He enrolled in every political science class taught by Koyzis that he could, ultimately leading him to study political science and history.
“He was also a mentor of mine and encouraged me to go to graduate school. I developed a real interest in political science and international relations and decided to go to graduate school for that,” says Vandergeest.
After obtaining his undergraduate degree from Redeemer in 2012, Vandergeest pursued a master of global affairs at the University of Toronto, a stepping stone that would lead him to his greatest challenge yet: law school.
In 2015, Vandergeest moved to Boston to pursue a law degree at Harvard Law School. With international relations and politics still at the top of his mind, Vandergeest hoped to practice law in a way that would align with these interests that he’d had since his days at Redeemer.
But although an exciting new challenge at Harvard stood before him, finding a sense of belonging didn’t happen as quickly as it did at Redeemer.
“The first year of law school was very intense. Grades were very important, and the grading system is designed to be competitive. It took some time for me to feel as if I fit in,” says Vandergeest.
“One of the greatest challenges was arriving as a Canadian who didn’t know anyone. [But] over the three years I was there, I built strong relationships that are still important to me today. It was also important to me to do well academically, to prove to myself that I belonged there. Once I accomplished that, I felt much more at home.”
As an extension of his love for international development and politics, Vandergeest focused his studies on cross-border legal disputes, zeroing in on cases that involved parties from different countries and legal systems.
After graduating from Harvard with his Juris Doctor cum laude, Vandergeest joined the legal team at Freshfields New York, a global law firm. Today, his day-to-day work involves representing large companies in cross-border disputes in U.S. courts. Though much of his time is spent talking to clients, working on cases and preparing legal submissions, his favourite moments mirror his favourite moments at Redeemer: surrounded by a supportive team and set in a court.
“One of my favourite memories of Redeemer was competing on the volleyball team. I’ve always loved team sports. In my work today, I’m part of teams of lawyers that work on complicated cases. When we win a case or a motion, it’s the same feeling as winning a big point in a volleyball match. There’s a team celebration and a sense of accomplishing a shared goal,” says Vandergeest.
“I developed very strong relationships with faculty mentors and friends that helped me succeed. Much of the work I do today uses skills that I started developing during my time there.”
Today, life looks much different for Vandergeest than it did in those early days at Redeemer—he’s traded views of Luther Court for the views of the Empire State Building. But he is confident that his life as it is today would not exist without those life-shaping years at Redeemer. For Vandergeest, his path will always bear the footprints of those who walked beside him even in those very early days: staff, faculty, friends and teammates.
“I spent four years developing my academic interest in politics and international relations, which ultimately pushed me to go to graduate school and carried through into the law I practice today. I developed very strong relationships with faculty mentors and friends that helped me succeed. Much of the work I do today uses skills that I started developing during my time there. I benefited from being surrounded by a strong community with strong beliefs and values. My time at Redeemer was important for bringing me to where I am today.”