2021: Cohort 2

Agness Banda, born in 1995, is originally from Lundazi, Eastern Province of Zambia. She is an orphan whose mom died in 2006 leaving behind 5 children: 4 girls and 1 boy. She recently graduated with a degree in Primary Teaching with merit. She started an internship with VIDEA in August 2020 and has been part of VIDEA’s education program for many years. She currently lives in the city of Lusaka.

Alicia Dyck is a fourth-year student at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree. Her areas of study consist of a double extended minor in Global Development and French. She is also a part of the university’s WUSC club, which focuses on sponsoring refugees to come live and study at UFV. She is very passionate about justice, and intends on incorporating this passion into her future career, hopefully in pursuit of a law degree.

Arshpreet Gill is currently in his first year at the University of Manitoba. While studying, he works part time at a local law firm in Winnipeg, and at a local MLA’s constituency office. In his free time Arshpreet is working towards studying International Law and trying to accomplish his bucket list such as getting a motorcycle license, learning to fly, and saving money to travel. Arshpreet strongly believes that there needs to be selfless global leadership to solve our current global issues. Arshpreet’s career plans are to work for the UN and Global Affairs Canada to help and work with global citizens to find and implement the solutions to the global issues.

Claire Zhang is a bilingual economist with an interesting dynamic, driven personality and an entrepreneurial attitude. She is an economist in the Investment, Science and Technology Division, Economic Statistics Field at Statistics Canada. She is also an AI researcher at NEXTCON-SCVI-Lab, where she is working on applying AI Techniques in Autonomous vehicles. Outside of work, she strives to promote civic engagement and community-building, and draw attention on both well-being and urban development issues. She loves swimming, doing yoga, and listening to podcasts on tech policy.

N’KOUEI Téna Brigitte is from the Republic of Benin. She has a Baccalaureate A2 and is currently a third year student in linguistics with a French teaching option, and a journalist for the university press (Le Révélateur). She is involved in several social causes and is part of the mouvement for the fight against sexual harassment in universities set up by the NGO ALCRER in 2020. Since October 2020, she has been a member of the NGO JEDAFEM (Jeunes engagés pour le développement et l’autonomisation de la femme), a youth-led organization whose objective is to promote the SDGs with a particular focus on the empowerment of women.

Deena Watson is VIDEA’s Project Officer and a student at the University of Victoria, majoring in Indigenous Studies and Social Justice Studies. Deena is a proud member of Mistawasis Nêhiyawak located on Treaty 6 territory. Deena is also a former International Aboriginal Youth Internships Initiative (IAYI) intern where she was placed at a non-profit organization in Uganda for four months to gain knowledge on global human rights and promote gender equality. She is a strong advocate for Indigenous women and girls, and supports the intersectional theory of Indigenous feminism that practices decolonization, Indigenous sovereignty, and human rights for Indigenous women and their families.

Franck Rwamo is a graduate from a Bachelors in Political Science at UQAM. During his academic career, he was also involved in many organizations in his community. He is very interested in the issues surrounding international cooperation and education. He also had an internship relating to international cooperation in Ecuador, in a small indigenous village called “La Moya”. The objective of the internship was to work with the women and girls of the community in order to develop several projects collectively. He hopes to have other opportunities at the international level to contribute to the development of other projects like those.

Franck enjoys training, reading, chatting and laughing with others. He hopes that the training offered by Spur Change will give him innovative ideas to develop new projects within our global community.

Haruka Aoyama (she/her) is participating in YCP from beautiful Nova Scotia. She is born in Okayama, Japan and came to Nova Scotia in 2016 to study at Dalhousie University. Her passion for discovering various cultures, nature, and ideas led her to study Political Science and Environment, Sustainability and Society (ESS) during her university years. She is currently working as a Legislative Assistant at Halifax Regional Municipality. Outside her professional job, she is involved in the Youth Advisory Council with the Atlantic Council for International Cooperation (ACIC) as well as in other volunteer opportunities related to climate change, sustainable development, and immigration/cultural inclusion in Halifax. She always enjoys learning. Now, she wants to take it a step further. She challenges herself to make small actions every day. She is excited for her new journey with YCP.

Jasmine Zhao is a first-generation Canadian, born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. She graduated from Chemical Engineering at the University of Calgary in 2018. She is deeply passionate about helping others and cultivating connections. As a volunteer with One Body Village Canada, a non-profit that exists to improve the lives of at risk and affected children and young women of sexual abuse and exploitation, Jasmine is an advocate for gender equality and female empowerment – her values aligning most with SDG #5. Jasmine envisions a world where every individual has access to the resources they need to reach their fullest potential.

Patricia Wedawin is from Gameti, Northwest Territories. She is 25 years old and currently lives in Ottawa, Ontario. She moved there in 2018 for school, and graduated from the Tourism and Travel Services program at Algonquin College in October 2020. She now works full-time with a not-for-profit organization called Northern Youth Abroad, which is intended for youth of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Northern Youth Abroad has programs that strengthen youth’s identities and cultural understandings. ItThese programs also enhance their participation and success by providing life-changing and life-directing experiences relevant to the needs and aspirations of Northern youth.

Tarnbir Aulakh is a Bachelor of Science candidate at Queens University, where she is pursuing a specialization in Kinesiology with a certificate in Creativity, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation. Post-graduation, Tarnbir aspires to attain dual MD/MPH training. As a global citizen and advocate, Tarnbir is committed to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. Tarnbir’s interest in Global Health, specifically working with vulnerable populations, was inspired by opportunities within the Queens community, research projects, and motivation from her valuable mentors. As a member of this year’s Youth Champions Program, Tarnbir is eager and keen to connect with like-minded youth, educators, and SMOs across Canada.

Tony Llorente is from Tuburus, one of the remote indigenous communities in Bosawas. He studied for many years in Managua, at the high school and college level, where Change for Children sponsored his education, since there were no high school education in his area at that time. He is currently part of an innovative technological project for education implemented by Change for Children, making educational resources available to teachers and students. He is passionate about gaining new knowledge and sharing experiences. He looks forward to learning new skills and acquiring new experiences from the members involved in the program.

Virginie Flavie Nkeunga Tagwa is 26 years old from Cameroon. She currently lives in Canada, more specifically in Rouyn-Noranda where she is completing her college studies in social work techniques. She is also a Global Citizenship Education Volunteer Intern at the Centre de solidarité internationale Corcovado. The Centre’s mission is to support vulnerable populations in the South in improving their living conditions by carrying out sustainable international cooperation projects in partnership with these populations. The Centre also increases the awareness of international solidarity and responsible consumption among the Abitibi-Témiscamingue population. By participating in this program, Virginie wishes to share her experience with others as well as learn and acquire the knowledge necessary to be a good leader in her community.

Xavier John, an Electrical Engineer graduate, has been working as an Administrative Support Professional and has experience and education in office administration. He came to Canada as an International student and is now a Permanent Resident. In university, he was one of the student leaders at the McMaster Catholic Student Association. He organized and managed several events for students that were a great success. He is passionate about music and loves to play guitar; he is part of a church choir and plays guitar on a regular basis. He is an ardent believer in giving back to the community; he has been actively volunteering with The Ahaan Foundation on various projects and activities in the Regina community. His zeal for customer service excellence is exemplary. He is currently working as an Assistant Manager for Ramada Hotel. He is a strong advocate for a better and more sustainable future for all and is an avid