Final Report, Andrii Hrynko 2024-2025 Parliamentary Intern
June 24, 2025 – Ottawa, Canada
At the end of June, I will conclude my 10-month placement as the 2024/2025 UCC Parliamentary Intern. These 10 months have been marked by tremendous learning, work, and personal growth.
From September 2024 to March 2025, I was placed in the office of MP Jenny Kwan where I had the opportunity to gain firsthand insight into the workings of Parliament and the responsibilities of a Member of Parliament. Throughout that placement, I contributed to immigration casework, policy research and analysis, and committee work—particularly at the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. Examples of my work include the analysis of a committee report, drafting letters to constituents and ministers, and working on refugee cases. After the Parliament was prorogued, the pace of work shifted, and I had the opportunity to focus on more long-term projects such as stakeholder databases.
Following the announcement of the federal elections, I moved to the UCC National Office in Ottawa to continue my duties. During this period, I led a nationwide promotional campaign for the UCC Parliamentary Internship Program. I conducted outreach to nearly 100 community organizations, supported and organized public events, created social media and print materials, and monitored federal legislative developments of interest to the Ukrainian Canadian community.
My education in Political Studies and Journalism sparked in me a deep interest in policy, communications, and displaced Ukrainian communities. After being selected as the Parliamentary Intern, I accepted immediately, knowing this opportunity was for me and that I would follow through on it fully.
The experiences I have gained over the past 10 months—along with the deepened sense of responsibility to the Ukrainian community this internship has instilled in me—are hard to overstate. This internship is an important milestone, paving my way forward toward professional and academic excellence. For instance, I plan to carry the knowledge I gained—particularly in policy analysis within a policymaking setting and in refugee casework—into my future PhD research.
I am extremely grateful to the board of directors, the donors and supporters of the program, and the program director Ihor Michalchyshyn for their immense support throughout my placement, and for this opportunity that will open many doors for me – doors through which I am ready and excited to walk.
You can also read Andrii’s previous reports from November 2024 and April 2025.
Andrii Hrynko
Andrii Hrynko is a University of Saskatchewan Political Studies master’s graduate. He also holds a degree in Journalism and Social Communication from Adam Mickiewicz University. To the Parliamentary Internship Program, he brought a goal-oriented mindset and eagerness to learn. His interests include policy, immigration, and democratic processes in Canada and abroad. He remains dedicated to being an active member of the displaced Ukrainian community while pursuing academic and professional excellence.