Rise Ottawa

Meet our Fall 2019 Ambassadors

Alexia Miron
(She/Her)

Hi hi! I would describe myself as a wildly adventurous, curious and passionate individual. I aspire to leave this world a better place than when I entered it, and that is largely what drives me forward. The last few years I’ve dedicated to my undergrad in developmental psychology and disability studies and I one day hope to have my own childcare centre that offsets the cost of a counselling practice - to make counselling accessible to families who couldn’t otherwise afford it.

I joined RISE to focus on the present, connect with and reconcile my indigenous identity and meet new like-minded folks who care about the trajectory of our mother earth.

Reach out to me on Insta:
@alexia.miron

Angeley Constant
(She/Her)

I would describe myself as curious, and unfiltered. My curiosity shows itself  in my interest to learn about new things. I'm a homebody at heart but my mind is constantly asking questions and full of random facts. Besides school, my two jobs and two extracurriculars (including RISE) keep me on my feet.

RISE is a great tool to help me fulfill the meaningful change that can inspire my community to get involved. I hope RISE can help me to understand social issues that are unfamiliar to me, so that I can strengthen my allyship and bring awareness to those needing solidarity.

Reach out to me on Insta:
@ange.constantt

Emnet Melkie
(She/Her)

I would describe myself as pretty easy going and always down for trying new things. For instance, chilling in a forest outside of Toronto for 3 days with 40 strangers. Movies and books are the best for downtime. Most times, I'm in my head. So if I look like I'm giving you a "serious face" it's just me thinking.

Right now what's keeping me busy is school and Rise, both of which I'm happy to participate in. What I want out of Rise is to be more involved in my Ottawa community and help change people's perspective regarding the environment here. 

Reach out to me on Insta:
@emnetmelkie

Gagan Rekhi
(He/Him)

I am an optimistic, enthusiastic, adaptable and interactive person, love to engage with people and try to help them as much as I can. To relax, I love to listen to music or to go out on a walk. I am a foodie person,  therefore love to try different cuisines or sometimes don’t lose an opportunity to do an experiment with food. I always try to explore and learn something new every day.

Reach out to me on Insta:
@gagan.r22

Kahlan Miron
(She/Her)

I describe myself as someone who is terrible at describing herself. It’s a stressful process. But, if pushed, I’d say I try to be kind and like to live in my head. I also like to believe in people, so it’s sad to watch as I grow pessimistic about the world.

I joined RISE to prove to myself that people can make change and to pick up tools to better join those movements. My job and RISE keep me busy, but I also spend time babying two elderly cats, casually learning Arnis (a martial art) and drinking too much tea.

Kiemia Rezagian
(She/Her)

I’m a high-energy softy and lover of life on this planet. The majesty of life brings me so much wonder -- I try to spend all my moments soaking up the joy that life has to offer. I keep busy by letting my curiosity take me to new places - my work and a million hobbies inform my growth every day.

I’m drawn to RISE because I aim to be an active participant in the well-being of my community. I hope that RISE will help me discover tools that I can carry with me on a lifelong journey toward healing our communities and the environment.

Reach out to me on Insta:
@kiemquat

Mikaela Smith
(She/Her)

 I keep busy cooking, baking, working my Big Girl Job, being active in my Pole Fitness community, reducing my waste, composting and, when I'm not napping: kicking butt. I started by challenging myself to become more conscious of the world around me and to become aware of how my actions have a ripple effect. This led me to adopt a Zero-Waste/Low-Waste lifestyle, which has been very rewarding.

RISE was the knock on my door when I was looking for a way to get involved and to make an impact in my community. I am so excited to be on this journey with so many amazing people and to see how our projects develop!

Reach out to me on Insta:
@lessons.of.less

THEIR PROJECT: 

LETTERS TO THE LAND is a community project that holds intentional space for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) to express their climate anxiety and critically reflect on their relationship to land. Through a facilitated writing workshop (closed for BIPOC) (“Reroot”) as well as an open community showcase (“Revival”), this project encourages participants to vision a future together that supports & prioritizes the healing and recovery of BIPOC communities, lands, and knowledge. Letters to the Land will also feature submitted letters on their Instagram account (@letterstotheland).

Follow their journey on Insta: @aisbrise_ott and @letterstotheland

Meet the Ottawa Mentors

 

Martyna Turczynowicz

When it comes to RISE, I was an ambassador in Cohort 2 and now I’m a mentor in Cohort 4 here in Ottawa. I spend my days working at an arts non-profit called OMIC (Ottawa Music Industry Coalition).

I believe RISE is incredibly important because it’s vital for folks to be involved at the local level, and to really learn what’s going on in their cities. The RISE program is so effective because young folks get involved in tangible projects that directly touch the community around them, all while learning about the work that’s already being done.

I’ve been involved with various grassroots projects for a while. I’m hoping my project management and communication skills come in handy! 

Reach out to me on Insta:
@ottawamic

 

Angeline Boswell

Currently, I am the Co-Coordinator of the People’s Republic of Delicious (PRD). The People’s Republic of Delicious (PRD) is an alternative food collective based at uOttawa working towards limiting food waste and increasing access to free nutritious food. We collect “imperfect” food on a weekly basis from local establishments that cannot be sold anymore and would otherwise end up in the landfill. We collect the food and make a delicious feast. On a good day, we feed 40-50 people. PRD is contributing to our community on many different levels, and I am beyond proud to be a part of it.

I became involved in RISE in March 2019, when the RISE cohort at the time was developing a community project around food waste and food insecurity. I was invited as a community member who had experience in the area, and I fell in love with RISE: I loved its mission, structure, and obvious ambition/passion to do good in the community. Seeing the impact their community projects were able to make first-hand brought me joy, and I knew I didn’t want my liaison with RISE to end. When the opportunity to be a RISE mentor arose, it felt meant-to-be.

Reach out to me on Insta:
@prd_uottawa

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