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Did you actually read the fine print when you signed your latest cell phone contract? For first-year student Kayla Kreutzer, learning how legally binding any contract can be in a business law course was one of the moments that got her thinking about a legal career. 

“I was also told growing up that I was argumentative and strong-willed and that I would make a great lawyer,” she says with a laugh.   

Life experience paved road to law school 

A member of the Upper Cayuga of the Six Nations of the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Kreutzer decided to pursue a legal education to make a change. She says that throughout her life she has witnessed and learned about so many different groups of people who are treated poorly, especially Indigenous people, and she knew she wanted to find a way to make a difference.  

“I wanted to give myself the tools and skills to be able to create some sort of tangible change, even if it’s just one person’s life.” 

Kreutzer, a former Dinos soccer player and 2019 graduate of the Haskayne School of Business, will be the first lawyer in her family. While she’s not sure what type of law she wants to practice yet, she has her eye on a few areas. 

“Employment law is really interesting to me because there are so many factors that play a role in it,” she says. “But I also understand that being an Indigenous lawyer can play an important role in many areas of society, including business and government. I hope by taking a variety of courses that I can find my niche.” 

First winner of new scholarship 

Kreutzer is the recipient of UCalgary Law’s Undergraduate Award of Excellence for BIPOC Students, the first winner of the award for the law school. She admits she is extremely grateful and humbled to receive the award, which she hopes will help her see what kind of changes she can help make in the justice system.  

“It’s a significant time to be an Indigenous person, so I want to do as much as I can to contribute to my community and fight discrimination and inequality.”