State of Youth

Alex Daigle is a queer Franco-Albertan from Edmonton. She graduated from Campus Saint-Jean and currently works with 2S and LGBTQ2 organizations across the country as part of her role as a Francophone Liaison and Program Coordinator with the Enchanté Network. She spends most of her time in nature, listening to historical documentaries, Star Trek and making artistic creation.

Alfred Burgesson emigrated from Ghana to Canada at a young age. In addition to being a member of the Prime Minister’s Youth Council, he serves on the board for the Halifax Public Library. He is passionate about youth issues, entrepreneurship and community development. Alfred is Executive Director of Tribe Network; a social enterprise that focuses on entrepreneurship and innovation.

Carson Robinson is from the Sagkeeng Anicinaabe Nation in Treaty 1 Territory and currently serves as the National Representative for Manitoba at the Assembly of First Nations National Youth Council. He was also proud to serve as Youth Chief and Independent Nations Representative of Southern Chiefs Organization Youth Council in Manitoba – the only youth council in Canada with a vote at the Chiefs Discussion/Resolution table – from February 2019 to May 2021. Carson is a student at the University of Manitoba currently completing his major in Native Studies. He is a passionate advocate for progressing reconciliation and works with Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations to assist and advise in cultural awareness and reconciliation efforts. He also works to connect Indigenous communities to the world through fibre optic internet and is a strong advocate for youth from the Manitoba region. Apart from politics and work, Carson has also devoted much of his life to learning and attending traditional Anishinaabeg ceremonies and passing on that traditional knowledge to young people looking for mino-pimatiziwin – a good life.

Gloria Livingston is a Franco-Albertan living in Edmonton. She is currently completing a Bachelor of Science degree at Campus Saint-Jean of the University of Alberta while being the President of La Francophonie Jeunesse de l’Alberta. Gloria has a particular interest in leadership and issues related to Indigenous Peoples and their sovereignty.

Jake Bradshaw lives in Toronto and is a recent graduate of Queen's University where he studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics. Ever since his own struggle with depression and anxiety he has been passionate about mental health advocacy. Jake has advocated for mental health through public speaking, writing and community organizing alongside a variety of organizations. Jake is now a Co-Founder of The Social Reset, an organization that is working to address the mental health crisis by helping young Canadians cultivate healthy relationships with social media.

Jamie-Lee Keith is from Kamloops, British Columbia. She is a law student at Thompson Rivers University (TRU). She has a Bachelor’s degree in history, a Bachelor's degree in education, and a Master’s in educational leadership. Jamie-Lee has a particular interest in issues encountered by Métis and is deeply involved in her community. Currently, she is the Thompson/Okanagan Métis Youth representative, the director of communications at Two Rivers Métis, and is part of the Indigenous Mentorship Program at TRU.

Jana Jandal Alrifai is an Arab-Canadian living in Windsor, Ontario. She is passionate about social change and the diverse voices that help lead it. She is a climate justice organizer with Fridays For Future Windsor-Essex and Climate Strike Canada.

Katja Newman is from Ottawa, Ontario. She holds a college diploma in Child and Youth Work from Georgian College and a Bachelor's degree in Social Work from Carleton University. She is also working towards obtaining an online Master's degree in Grant Writing Management and Evaluation from Concordia University Chicago. She is the Student Awards Program Manager at the National Educational Association of Disabled Students. Katja is a strong advocate for youth with disabilities and issues of accessibility.

Keely Grossman is a Carleton University Sociology PhD student. She has a particular interest for disability justice, deinstitutionalization, youth issues and addressing inequalities.

Manvir Bhangu is a South Asian Second-generation Canadian living in Brampton, Ontario. She is the founder of Laadliyan, a nonprofit organization which inspires South Asian daughters of all ages to become empowered through education, engagement and awareness. She also works as Manager of Operations at Punjabi Community Health Services. Manvir is particularly interested in and passionate about youth development, community building and advocating for gender equity within the South Asian community.

Sharanjit Khela is a second-generation South Asian living in Brampton, Ontario. She will be joining Ryerson’s Master of Arts in Public Policy and Administration in September 2021. Sharanjit is primarily interested in addressing issues faced by marginalized youth and immigrant communities. She is currently the Research Coordinator at the nonprofit, Laadliyan which advocates for gender equity in the South Asian community, and will also be working as a Research and Policy Intern at the Ryerson Leadership Lab this summer.

Simon Thériault is originally from Grand-Sault, New Brunswick. He is currently completing his final year at Polyvalente Thomas-Albert, where he chairs the student council. Simon is also president of the Fédération des jeunes francophones du Nouveau-Brunswick and sits on the board of directors of the Fédération de la jeunesse canadienne-française. Accessibility to mental health services, protection of the environment, and defense of the rights of sexual and gender minorities are issues of great importance to Simon. He is always ready to represent the voice of young people and defend their interests.

Taylor Behn-Tsakoza is a Dene cis woman from the Fort Nelson First Nation in BC Treaty 8 territory. She currently works as a community educator bringing sexual health and harm reduction workshops to youth across BC using a holistic wellness model and traditional teachings. She is passionate about elevating youth voices and addressing the need for programs that connect youth to culture and community. Having been guided by her grandparents, mother, aunties and mentors, Taylor is a language learner in the Dene K’e (South Slavey) dialect and is an emerging artist of traditional Dene crafts. When she is not out in the community delivering programs, you can find her out on traditional territory with her family exercising their treaty rights.