Our Team

Coordinator, Women's Programming 

Lela is an Urban Planner with a passion for community planning, development and housing policy. She is committed to creating inclusive and vibrant communities by employing a lens of social justice and collaboration to ensure that the unique goals of communities are understood and met. 

Throughout her personal and professional life, Lela has been inspired by the strength,  knowledge and capacity within youth. She is committed to breaking barriers and creating connections so that youth can find what they love in life and follow it with the passion it deserves.

Coordinator, Volunteer Services

Celena has extensive experiences in the administration and education field working with youth and international students from diverse backgrounds. She helps students prepare for the Canadian workplace while ensuring they master the language proficiency and achieve academic excellence. 

Her professional experiences include counselling, developing policies for the school and managing diverse students. She is passionate and excited working with Youth Rising Above to make a difference to the community and empowering youth at risk to have successful and enriching lives. 

Coordinator, Peer Support

Rebecca has a diverse background, with experience in various research, leadership, and advocacy-based roles within mental health. She has coupled her passion for working within the community with her interest in youth mental health supports, leading various mental health awareness groups and developing educational workshops. Academically, Rebecca has completed an undergraduate degree in psychology, and a graduate certificate in mental health and addictions. 

She is currently studying at the University of Toronto, completing a Master’s Degree in Health Service Research with specializations in health service outcomes and evaluation, and public health policy. Rebecca believes in the importance of providing supportive, empowering, and inclusive spaces for youth to grow and thrive. She is committed to meeting youth where they are and supporting their unique needs through engaging programs and opportunity building.

Mentorship Program Coordinator

 Priyanka is a Social Worker who completed her Master in Social Work and Honours Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Toronto. She has several years of experience working with youth across multiple settings such as non-profit, community, homelessness, hospital, and higher education sectors. 

Priyanka is passionate about supporting youth with achieving holistic well-being, equipping them with tools to overcome barriers, and supporting them with building pathways that align with their goals. She has coordinated and developed engaging programs for youth that resulted in positive outcomes and has led evaluation efforts to ensure the needs of youth are being met effectively. She is committed to fulfilling gaps and working alongside youth to create an environment that is empowering. She aims to create spaces that are inclusive, diverse, and equitable to increase opportunities for youth to thrive. 

Administrative Assistant, Rising Together

 Ivana has an academic background in sociology and public policy and is passionate about fostering stronger mental health literacy. She recognizes a broader gap in addressing youth mental health and believes in the value of a safe and inclusive space that provides youth with the opportunity to speak openly about their experiences. 

Ivana has held several administrative roles that have allowed her to gain experience with program support and data integration in both professional and volunteer capacities. She is looking forward to integrating the knowledge from her administrative experience to support and empower youth in the Rising Together program. 

Program Facilitator, DiscoverU
 

A driven Caseworker and a dedicated Registered Early Childhood Educator, Joanna has been working with children and youth for many years. She works in the non-profit field, supporting newcomer and refugee families, children and youth integrate into Canadian society.  Joanna is passionate in providing opportunities for young people to learn, develop and help them realize their full potential. 

Working at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peel, has given her the experience of being a positive mentor offering guidance and support, connecting youth to broader experiences, opportunities and networks while providing a safe and non-judgemental environment in which they can gain the confidence to achieve more. Joanna is excited to begin this new journey with Youth Rising Above and looks forward to empowering young people.