Abigail Williams
(She/Her)

I’m organized chaos with a hot take always fresh out of the oven. Pop culture and meme connoisseur. I stay busy by working out, hanging out with friends, reading, starting but never finishing a new tv show or movie in between dreaming up the next thing I want to get involved in or skill I want to learn. 

I am interested in community and the ways in which we can all better understand our shared experiences and identities. RISE is the perfect cocoon to get involved in the world of community organizing. It also has the added benefit of being surrounded by like minded young people that are just as passionate as you are!

Reach out to me on Insta:
@abbbyy_gail

Althea Rose White 
(She/Her)

I am a Filipina-Canadian singer-songwriter based in Ottawa. I would describe myself as a creative, an empath, and a cat mom. On top of learning to become a more engaged member of my community through RISE and supporting my friends, I keep busy with ramen eating, nap taking, story swapping, and decorating time with music!

I believe RISE will help me develop professional skills and grow as a person while building important connections. I want to expand my knowledge on this cohort’s theme of gender equality and become a more informed and active participant in my community moving forward.

Reach out to me on Insta:
@erosnorth

Amanda Jeysing
(She/Her)

As a self-proclaimed storyteller, I use my love for food, writing and dance to share stories that I believe are not often heard or amplified enough. I believe in collective movements, and use my passions to connect to others in a meaningful way through accessible means of engaging in critical dialogue.

I was initially drawn to RISE as a more structured and guided process to reach my goals of storytelling, community building and meaning making as I question my belonging in Canada more deeply. I want to meet new like-minded people who are not afraid to speak up for the truth and are driven to change society- and in doing so, gain the skills to organize community via social media and to work serving marginalized groups in the near future.

Reach out to me on Insta:
@amandajeysing
@foodventureswithpanda

Brian Harris
(He/Him)

Mature, level headed, passionate, carebear. I’m actively pursuing ambitious goals, and daring myself to do the things that often scares me and those around me. This constant challenge allows me to thrive in diverse situations and never puts me outside of my comfort zone. 

As a youth, I needed to be more involved in my community. Seeing the impact one individual can make through telling others their life story, inspired me to become the next leader for my up and coming generation and show that when we look up from our phones we can all do amazing things. Along the way, I've met some great individuals.

Celestina Bogle
(They/Them)

Occupying the space between a dreamer and a go-getter, a balancing act of tough and tender, the sweet spot of pensive and LOUD, I am a bright-eyed twenty-something intuitive Jamaican-Canadian, learning and unlearning from the world as I know it. I’m kept busy by being in a creative limbo of ideas that is manifested through art, research projects, and storytelling.

In hopes of learning what it means to create/foster community while improving my leadership skills, I applied to Rise. Now surrounded by inspiring like-minded creatives, I want to do and be better for myself and my communities.

Check me out on Insta:
@sunchildce

Jade Gutzmore
(She/Her)

I’m creative, light hearted, air headed.

I originally joined RISE to plump up my resume, and then along the way decided it would actually be fun to get out of the house sometimes. I hope to sharpen my networking, event planning skills and leadership skills. 

Nadia Boubacar
(She/Her)

A mix of very calm and very crazy. You will always catch me watching and listening, rarely talking. I am a self-made introverted boss lady (chuttt... the rest of the world doesn’t know yet). Currently finishing my bachelor degree, working, running the Women in Management Network and being a poet/storyteller-ish. 

RISE is a huge learning experience for me. Not only will I learn how to get better access to my community, but I will also get both theoretical and practical knowledge on the subject that my cohort is responsible for. RISE is also a place to meet open-minded people with different mindset and put together everyone’s masterpiece to give back to our people. 

Reach out to me on Insta:
@nadiaboubacaroldi

Shivani Tayal
(She/Her)

Mixture of fun and emotions. I love to engage with people and share ideas and knowledge. I always keep myself learning and growing for my personal development. Music is fuel. Marvel is love. I love to travel and cherish the moments and build memories. 

I want to learn how to build the community around and make connections and grow networks with like-minded people. I am interested in building a meaningful space for everybody and creating a sense of belonging among individuals in the near future. It’s a huge learning experience for me both theoretically and practically. I want the community to shine and rise with RISE.

Reach out to me on Insta:
@shivannitayal

Tameka Raymond
(She/Her)

Being part of a community coming together as one to help create a movement to impact others & create change Coming together weekly educating each other, having the opportunity to create new bonds these are the reasons why I chose RISE!

Reach out to me on Insta:
@Tamekajrichi

Victoria Miron
(She/Her)

I love to learn, I love to talk and I love to engage. Engage with people, with knowledge, with culture and with critical thought. More than anything I love to love! I love to keep busy, whether that be with friends, loved ones, work or school! 

RISE was a natural place I found myself in my path of ethical living, resurgence in my Indigenous culture and further development in the career I hope to form working towards a better earth. What I found in RISE is the connections and friendships forming are like nothing I could have imagined. What I want from RISE is to see light spread through the community, in whichever way it needs!