Catherine Barnwell is a 22-year-old McGill University student from Montreal West. She is currently in her final year, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Economics. Among her educational experiences was a 10-month student exchange to Trinity College, Dublin, in 2015-2016.

Her Irish ancestry stems from her paternal side, her great-grandparents hailing from Birr county Offaly.

A 10-year dance student of Bernadette Short School of Irish Dance, Catherine has competed at the world level on ceili (kay-lee) dance teams. In February 2016, she represented Ireland at the annual Military Tattoo in Bremen, Germany.

Catherine is a member of a team of volunteer leaders who work with young people. They run a youth group for high school aged students in her parish, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, in NDG. Her love of Youth Ministry allows her to participate in leadership conferences. This gave her the opportunity to go to World Youth Day in Poland last summer.

An avid reader, graphical artist Catherine is dedicated to keeping the art of hand-written letters alive. One of her favorite pastimes is sending correspondence to her many friends and family all over the world.