Born in Coronation, Alberta, Charalee Graydon studied at the University of Alberta, in the Arts and Law, before going to Oxford to read for the BCL and later completing a doctorate in mediation and conflict resolution. Following her time at Oxford, she returned to Canada to practise and teach law. Graydon has held academic positions in England, New Zealand, and Canada and is currently Professor of Practice and Senior Lecturer in Mediation and Law at EUCLID University. She has developed programmes for students, judges, and the public on legal issues and has published on the links between climate change education and the creative arts. Graydon is also a trustee of OxCAN, the University of Oxford’s climate alumni network. This narrative is excerpted from an interview with the Rhodes Trust on 4 August 2025.
Charalee Graydon
Prairies & Wadham 1982
My full name is Charalee Fawn Eisert Graydon. My parents created the name Charalee – and the ‘Fawn” was because they liked the name. My ancestors were Scottish and Irish on my father’s side, and in my mother’s family, I have indigenous roots, along with English and Scottish, which I believe dates back to when her family lived in the United States. So, I am of mixed race, but I will say the strongest link to my ancestors is Irish. I go back often to Northern Ireland and say, ‘Okay, this is where my ancestors are from.’
As a child, I played the piano, although when I was 15, I gave that up, saying, ‘No more piano playing.’ I also enjoyed collecting rocks, which is one thing you can do when you live in the country. My biggest hobby, and the one that helped me to win the Rhodes Scholarship, was horseback riding. I’ve always loved horses.
I went to primary school in Brownfield, a hamlet near where we lived. There were only about 15 people in my class. Interestingly, I’m still in touch with my Grade 1 teacher and also with one or two of the people from my class. My teacher was inspirational. I remember that I would list the books I’d read each week, and she made me feel I was doing something good. She was also a fair-minded person, making sure that everybody in the class had a chance to take part in lessons. For junior high and high school, we went to the town of Coronation – named for the coronation of King George V – which was a town of approximately 1,000 people. I was fortunate that all of my schools had such good educational systems.
On applying for the Rhodes Scholarship
One reason that I went to the University of Alberta was that I had relatives who lived in Edmonton. I started with a Bachelor of Arts in English, political science, and history, as the University of Alberta was strong in those areas. I also enjoyed biology and chemistry. Physics was a bit tough, as it involved mathematics. I could have been good if I’d worked harder, but I was not really the strongest person in the sciences. I completed a double major in English and political science, English being my strongest area of study. Those two areas were interesting and engaging for me, then and now. I follow what’s happening in the Canadian elections, and even though I don’t live in Canada now, I still pay a lot of attention to what’s happening in the country.
During my university years, I often went for dinner with my uncle and aunt. On one occasion, Uncle Nick – who was from Hungary – suggested I apply for a Rhodes Scholarship. He said,‘ Charalee, you’re a very good student. You should apply for the Rhodes Scholarship.’ I said, ‘You know, Uncle, I don’t think I’ll pass my French course, so I can’t think about a Rhodes Scholarship. I don’t know what it is, anyway, and I just want to try and pass my French course.’ After that, I just forgot about it until I was in law school.
When I was a child, that same uncle suggested, ‘You should be a lawyer, Charalee, because you love to argue.’ And so, after university, I went on to law school. I got a lot of valuable experience there. I was chairperson of Student Legal Services, where we offered services on criminal law, civil law, and domestic law. It was a great experience to try and test your legs, to see if you could stand up and talk. And then, in my last year, I saw these little posters that said, ‘Apply for the Rhodes Scholarship.’ I looked at it and thought, ‘Oh, that’s what Uncle Nick said I should apply for. Well, why not?’ People were saying, ‘You should apply for other scholarships, because the Rhodes Scholarship is a tough one to get,’ but I thought, ‘Well, I don’t have time to try anything else.’ So, I put all my eggs in one basket. I just thought I’d take a shot at it and see what happened. My uncle was an inspirational person, and my professors were very supportive of my application. I was lucky to win the Rhodes Scholarship.
‘I suppose you could say I lost my first legal case when I arrived in Oxford’
My first memorable experience of Oxford and Wadham was standing with a fellow Rhodes Scholar and trying to get in through the blue door at the side of the college that wouldn’t open. Then we found out that we had to go through a different door, and I said to the college, ‘Well, why don’t you people open the door on the side? It’s much easier to get into the college from that door.’ They said, “No, that blue door is not open for students to enter the College. You must come through the main door.” So, I lost my first legal case the day I arrived in Oxford. Things got better after that, thank goodness! I spent a lot of time in college, and I didn’t go to Rhodes House often. I do remember the name of the Warden and his wife, and that I was pleased when I received an invitation from them to join them for lunch at Rhodes House.
‘It’s asking them to be creative, and it’s also my attempt to be super creative’
I am a lawyer and a writer, and work in the areas of mediation and conflict resolution. There is almost always legal content in the work that I do, and for my volunteer work as trustee for OxCAN, the Oxford Alumni Climate Network. One of my strengths is to look at regulations and the legal aspects of problems. If I can contribute ideas, that’s what I do. I’ve also kept my creative side, and I’ve written several books, including Creating a Masterpiece: The Arts and Climate Change Conflict. This book explores how the arts can contribute to raising awareness and the management of climate issues. It was an exciting book to write. Another of my books, Life on Planet Earth: My Story, is for young people. In this book, I write about environmental issues and ask children to write or draw pictures about their own climate story. It’s asking them to be creative, and my attempt to be super creative.
I’m very happy that I’ve followed a path that has brought together my interests in English and in politics and social issues. I’m a university professor at EUCLID University, an Online University. An example of an area I follow is artificial intelligence. I published an article on this subject, writing about copyright for images created by artificial intelligence. It explores whether an artist has copyright for a painting produced by an author using artificial intelligence (AI). The use of AI is inspiring and a wonderful creation, but it’s also frightening to learn about its limits and interaction with humans.
‘It’s not just about winning the Scholarship and getting a good education’
The Rhodes Scholarship provides you with an opportunity to play a role in shaping the world. It’s not just about winning the Scholarship and getting a good education. Rhodes Scholars have the opportunity to do something more. Scholars have a life journey to reshape the world in a positive way.