I want to give you a brief overview of my training and qualifications.
Good day, Mr. Chairman, members of the committee. As you have noted, I speak with an accent. I hope that you will be able to understand me properly. I was born in Italy. I was 15 when I came to this country. I married quite young and I am the mother of two children. I went back to school when I was in my 30s.
I began my first degree in political science and psychology, a degree I have not completed. Then, I studied law. I have a bachelor of law and passed the bar. Finally, I completed a master's in labour law and social law.
Both early on in my career and later, I worked on administrative boards. I was also a community member of the Quebec Parole Board. I have also taught labour law and municipal law at the CEGEP level at the Collège de l'Assomption.
My considerable experience in administrative law led me to apply for the position of member with the Immigration and Refugee Board, where I have been working for the past eight years and some months. My colleague, Michel Jobin, and I were appointed at the same time.
I will not repeat what my colleague has said, except that initially, I worked with a team that dealt exclusively with Eastern European countries. Then, I moved on to Latin American countries, and then francophone African countries. For approximately seven years now, I have been dealing with francophone African refugees.
That, in a nutshell, is my profile.