Christale Terris

(She/Her)

Christale was born and raised in “Sudbury, Ontario” on the traditional territory of the Anishinabewake people. She is a settler, Métis, queer, who's aspiring to become an artist and loves community organizing. She began volunteering at a young age and learned quickly the value of community-oriented work for building a more just world and how status-quo narratives devalue this work.

To help her contribute to movements for collective liberation, Christale pursued a degree in Public Policy and Community Development at Concordia University. During this time she became deeply involved with student organizing, in particular the food movement, and learned invaluable skills that have helped her become who she is today. She is an experienced event planner, facilitator, and community cook, who loves working with others and watching them shine.

At the pace of a snail, she is currently pursuing a double major in Intermedia Art and Design. When she has nothing to do, she loves reading dystopic novels, roller skating, jumping in large bodies of water, and spoiling the people she loves.

"The child version of myself would be floored to know that I would one day have the chance to work at an organization that not only pays a living wage but shares some of my values for a more just and equitable world."

Tanisha Garing

Darnell Jones

(He/Him)

While studying Community Recreation and Leadership Training (CRLT) at Dawson College, Darnell began working in community centers in Montreal. Over the years, Darnell has worked at Westhaven Community Center, Loyola Community Center and Tyndale St-Georges Community Center. Aside from his work in the community he has also kept himself busy teaching at the elementary, CEGEP and university levels. He is also a graduate of the Health and Physical Education program at McGill University.

Throughout the last 14 years in the field, Darnell has worked diligently on establishing and maintaining positive interpersonal relationships with youth, families, colleagues and community partners. After 10 years of experience at Tyndale St-Georges Community Center as the former Director of the Children, Youth and Families department, Darnell is excited for a new challenge! 

“I am very excited to begin my journey at AisB because this opportunity allows me to continue to learn and develop both personally and professionally. Although this is a slightly new mission and clientele, my purpose remains the same: to help others by providing them with enriching experiences.”

Dena Anwar

Dena is a sucker for great branding and tends to literally swoon when that branding is tied to passionate and moving stories. Having studied International Management, Marketing, and Anthropology at her time in university she found a sweet spot for connecting visual aesthetics, compelling stories, and business strategies to be tied back to a human connection. 

After working as a social media manager for multiple restaurants, she opened up her own Social Media & Content Creation agency where she worked with an array of businesses, always loving the personal connection. Craving an opportunity to expand and tap further into the power of social media for change and community building, Apathy is Boring was the perfect next step to her story.

"Joining the Apathy is Boring team is an exciting opportunity for me to use my storytelling and 'make it look pretty' skills with an organization making a highly needed impact on our culture as Canadian youth!"

Erika De Torres

(She/They)

Erika immigrated from the Philippines to Canada when they were six, becoming a Canadian citizen when they were 10. Since then, Erika developed a great interest in Canadian democracy and participates as much as they can. They completed an MA in Political Science at McGill University and a BA in Political Science from Simon Fraser University. Their MA research examined whether or not place of residence affects an individual's political preferences in Canada. They worked in higher education as a teaching assistant, research assistant, and supported a variety of academic departments. 

Erika previously worked with a number of non-profits in Vancouver and North Vancouver. They facilitated workshops on anti-discrimination and anti-oppression, obtained grants and funds, organized conferences, festivals, concerts, workshops, collaborated with partner organizations and worked directly with youth and young people to support them. 

"Apathy is Boring leads in youth empowerment using the model of Youth Led Democratic Innovation through its engaging programs. I'm so proud to be a part of an organization that puts action to words - working for youth, with youth, and it's by youth!"

Heather Nagy

(She/Her)

Born and raised in Scarborough, Heather moved to Montreal at the age of 19. At Concordia University she pursued a degree in Sociology and also got heavily involved in the community organizations on campus. From there she witnessed the social issues she was studying in action, and became more and more formally involved whether as a volunteer, board member, or staff member. Over time, Heather gained many years of knowledge and experience while working at multiple non profits and charities in Canada. She is excited to put those years of administrative organizational skills to use as the new Finance and Operations Manager for Apathy is Boring.

"Apathy is Boring brings unique social support to Canada's democracy through the engagement of youth. While youth take on decision making roles, I'm excited to help analyze, discuss, and ultimately demystify organizational inter workings so we can all keep our eye on the prize of being active citizens and shaping our communities!"

Irmak Taner

(She/Her)

Irmak was born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey, and has been living in Montreal for the past 10 years. Her curiosity about people, individually and collectively, led her to a degree in Psychology and International Development Studies at McGill followed by a graduate degree in Anthropology at Concordia. She believes in the power of community organizing and as an aspiring artist she is always looking for ways to bring arts into action.

She has worked in various academic and non-profit contexts organizing workshops and events, bringing people together and facilitating connections. In her free time she likes to experiment with up-cycled crafts and lay down at parks.

“When I first got involved in Apathy is Boring as a volunteer a few years ago I was just so impressed! The positive energy, the empowering spirit and the capacity for change that Apathy is Boring brings forth for youth is infectious and I am so thrilled to be part of this family”

Jackie Ndlovu

(She/Her)

Jackie was born and raised in Zimbabwe, and migrated to Montreal with her family when she was a teen. After being faced with the adversities of moving to a new country, Jackie became passionate about youth development, social integration and community change. She went on to study Business Accounting at St. Lawrence College in pursuit of a more practical career. 

At Apathy is Boring Jackie has found a perfect balance of a practical career and working for an organization that’s dedicated to connecting, educating and activating Canadian youth.

“I love working at Apathy is Boring because I get the best of both worlds! I get to utilize my accounting skills to help bring the AisB mission to life.”

Jacqueline Sultan

(She/Her)

Jacqueline is a true lover of communications. Fascinated by storytelling and human interactions from a young age, she studied Sociology and Communications at Université de Montréal and Public Relations at Université du Québec à Montréal. After spending many years in leadership roles in the corporate world, Jacqueline decided to steer her career towards non-profit and community work and has never looked back! 

In 2021 she materialized a long standing dream of helping BIPOC entrepreneurs start their own business by opening her communications agency Ad Meliora Communications. 

"Working with a group of engaged individuals for an organization that talks the talk and walks the walk is the purest sense of professional accomplishment."

Jennifer Block

(She/Her)

Jennifer was born and raised in Winnipeg on Treaty 1 Territory, the homelands of the Anishinaabe, Dene, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Metis Nations. She was an Ambassador in Cohort 7 of the RISE program and later returned to be a mentor for the next cohort.

Jennifer obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Indigenous Studies from the University of Winnipeg. In pursuing these majors, she wanted to investigate how gender inequality had become encoded in political institutions and normalized in the public mindset. In her research, Jennifer was honoured to be mentored by Anishinaabe leaders and scholars who identified gender inequality as a colonial tool used to displace and disorganize Indigenous governance systems. These scholars influenced Jennifer’s research towards studying how colonialism has and continues to impact gender expression and identity throughout “so-called” Canada. Since graduating Jennifer’s professional, personal, and academic ambitions continue to focus on challenging colonial norms and her own privilege on Treaty 1 Territory.

Jennifer spends a lot of her time outdoors. If she’s not at home with her two cats, you can find her on the beach, the tennis court, or the middle of nowhere.

"I can't wait to support youth in recognizing their power and mobilizing this power into meaningful change for individuals and communities!"

Kyle Visvanathan

(He/Him)

Being a hyper-curious child, Kyle has always been perplexed with the question of "how are we supposed to live- as individuals and as a collective?" Naturally, this led him to a degree in philosophy from the University of Toronto with this big takeaway: we must structure our individual lives around building just, fair and equitable spaces for all of us.

Kyle’s first step in applying this newfound understanding was connecting with the people at the forefront of building this type of society: young people! During the 2019 federal election, he had hundreds of conversations with students about the issues they face in their lives and how they have the power to change them when they engage with their democracy. Since then, he's continued to mobilize and organize around youth issues.

"Young people are at the centre of social change. We’re cutting-edge innovators and visionary dreamers. We’re relentless contributors and unapologetic advocates. Given the positive effect Apathy is Boring has on communities across Canada, working here is exactly how I imagined I’d answer that question on how to live.”

Melina Duckett

(She/Her)

Half Venezuelan, Melina was born in Australia but raised in Toronto. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Concordia University in Communications where she concentrated on film production and feminist theory. After graduating, Melina took on a range of comms-based roles in film production, data analytics, and software companies before becoming a media analyst and research associate for Greenpeace. When she’s not reviewing data, you can find Melina facilitating support groups & volunteering for McGill’s Sexual Assault Centre, or digging for music to play on her monthly online radio show.

“I love that Apathy is Boring truly and honestly commits to their mission of being 100% youth lead and driven. I’m so grateful to be able to work alongside a passionate and devoted team that’s fiercely loyal to creating spaces for youth to become change-makers within, and outside their communities.”

Omi Rodney

(They/Them)

Omi was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica and came to Canada as an adolescent. During their time as an undergraduate student at the University of Waterloo, they became passionate about community-based and student organizing. Through their experience working with students and in the community and working in student politics, they gained skills in managing the logistics and finance information to help bolster student run, mutual aid campaigns.

Rea-Anna Walters

Rea-Anna is a Jamaican-Canadian who grew up in Central Alberta. Her lived experience inspired her to pursue the study of why people do what they do and she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Behavioral Science in 2017. She went on to work with marginalized youth in the foster care system where she found her passion for youth development, community organization and civic engagement. She then joined RISE as an ambassador and devoted that passion to creating a community project, which inspired her to continue with A is B as a mentor and now coordinator.

In her spare time, Rea loves to direct creative projects and share the stories of the folks in her community. She shared that she's happy to find an organization with values and aspirations for community engagement that align with hers and is excited be on a journey that leads to a more activated, engaged and educated society.

Rebecca Simiyu

(She/Her)

Rebecca was born in Kenya, raised in Switzerland and Winnipeg, and relocated to the Vancouver area in 2021 after graduating from the University of Manitoba where she studied Politics and Women’s and Gender Studies.

Rebecca has previous experience working with Apathy is Boring as a mentor for RISE in Winnipeg, as well as experience working in the photography field, which is one of her many hobbies. Other hobbies include playing guitar, running, listening to music, and learning about interior design.

“I’ve always admired what Apathy is Boring does and I feel extremely privileged to be here. Being in a leadership role is new to me but a challenge I am more than ready for. This position is a perfect medium where I get to put my skills and what I’ve learned in life and education to use and also have room to express my creativity.”

Sam Reusch

(She/Her)

Sam is the Executive Director of Apathy is Boring. Since 2017, she has served on the leadership team at Apathy is Boring, contributing to the strategic development of programs, content, and activities through her work as the head of Impact and Development before transitioning to Executive Director in August 2020.

A passionate advocate for democracy and civic engagement, Sam is a respected commentator and educator who believes that the energy, insight, and innovative spirit of young people are critical to building a stronger and more equitable society for us all. Sam has worked with countless partners across Canada to support the development of positive engagement practices and provide insight into new understandings that young people bring to change-making, inclusion, and movement-building. She is the co-author of Together We Rise, a report which advocates for the adoption of youth-led democratic innovation as a model for expanding our current conception of democratic engagement towards a more holistic understanding of how change happens.

Sam is a proud Montrealer and alum of Concordia University, where she studied Anthropology, specializing in the intersection of identity, politics, and community. You can often find her catching up on current events while dreaming up her next culinary adventure and waiting for warmer weather. You can also reach her @samreusch on Twitter and Instagram or by email at [email protected].

“I see true democracy as an ongoing conversation, a discussion about what kind of country, province or community we want to live in. What I love about Apathy is Boring is that we are working to make sure that young people feel that they can have a voice in that conversation and that our collective solutions can build bridges for all Canadians.”

Samantha Page

(She/Her)

Sam is a community organizer and activist who is passionate about amplifying the voices of marginalized and disenfranchised communities. Born and raised in Ottawa (on the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin nation) Sam has been working to dismantle and reform unjust power structures since her formative years. Sam has pursued traditional knowledge learning opportunities through Indigenous education frameworks and also studied Child and Youth Care at Algonquin College.

Sam began her professional career working in outdoor education with a focus on accessibility adaptation. In previous roles she worked with underserved communities at CNIB Lake Joe and the Wabano Indigenous Centre for Excellence. Recently Sam also completed a year living in the Inuit community of Ivujivik working with youth as an educator and development specialist. She has also volunteered her time as part of  projects serving the 2SLGBTQ+ community in Canada and abroad. In all these roles Sam has worked to expand the table and emphasize undervalued voices in leadership positions. 

“My passions for civic engagement, youth-driven activism, and intra-/inter-community empowerment structures are all reasons I am proud to work with Apathy is Boring to deliver the RISE program in my hometown.”  

Sarah El Hassani

(She/Her)

Sarah was born in Amsterdam and moved to Canada when she was 16 years old. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a minor in Law and Society from Concordia University and is a certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM). 

Sarah is passionate about helping others, having volunteered at agencies that help children with learning disabilities, and encourage people to get the flu vaccine. She has also worked as an intake counselor opening new files and helping people in crisis. 

“When I heard I got the chance to join Apathy is Boring, a small spark lit up within me. Finally, I can be part of an amazing team and help them with their mission — which also became mine. AisB is full of wonderful surprises, and every day, it amazes me even more!”

Stephanie Yee

(She/Her)

Stephanie is a settler, artist and community worker living in Kjipuktuk (Halifax) the unceded and unsurrendered ancestral land of the Mi'kmaq people. Since moving to Kjipuktuk in 2008, she has found a sense of self through engaging in a network of communities devoted to reflection, learning and the building and maintaining of relationships. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from NSCAD University where she focused on nonverbal communication. Her career in the arts has allowed her to travel across North America to create space for dialogue on the intersections of gender and race. The aim of her work, both artistic and not, is to present accessible entry points to lesser known concepts and perspectives.

She has an affinity for disco, dancing and food made with butter. 

"I'm still in shock that an organization like Apathy is Boring exists, let alone that I get to work for it! Everyday I see new ways my colleagues reach out to support one another. I truly believe in the programming because it is carried forward by folks who consistently ask themselves, "How can we make things better for everyone?"

Hayley Bhereur

(She/Her)

Hayley was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. She loves all things communications, wellness and social media. She received a certification in Graphic design before moving to London, England and receiving a bachelor's degree in Fashion Communications from the Conde Nast College of Fashion and Design.

After graduating, Hayley took on a range of internships from Vogue, Glamour and ELLE all while growing her love and understanding for social media. When she is not working at Apathy is Boring, you can find Hayley training for a marathon, being silly on Tiktok or supporting her community. 

“I was so excited to see that Apathy Is Boring was hiring a Social Media Coordinator. I couldn’t wait to take on a new challenge and bring my creativity and passion to the team. Apathy Is Boring has programs I wish I had when I was younger. I love their commitment to their mission and ethos and I am honored to be a part of the team.”

Terry Wilkings

(He/Him)

With formal and informal training as a community and political campaigns organizer, Terry cut his teeth organizing the public in support of the have-nots. He has professional experience in the private and public sector, non-profits, and organized labour. By taking a historical perspective on today's myriad societal issues, Terry remains optimistic that we can meet the moment with more everyday people getting involved in our democracy. No problem is too big or complex. As program lead, he’ll share his insight on advancing positive change while learning from a new generation of social actors.

“The Build Program aims to cultivate political agency from under-engaged youth in our communities. Apathy is Boring is well placed to deliver on this ambitious goal through the relationships it has fostered among ambassadors, partners, and community organizations. I'm very happy to help launch a project with such an amazing team!”

Tomi Ajele

(She/Her)

Tomi holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from Mount Royal University and (almost) a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Calgary.

While working in corporate communications roles, Tomi ventured into the world of freelance writing and began to explore advocacy through stories. This led to her publishing several personal essays and opinion pieces in the Huffington Post, the CBC, and a variety of other national outlets. In October 2020, Tomi and a group of artists launched Afros In Tha City Media - a collective dedicated to amplifying Black voices in Mohkínstis (Calgary).

Tomi’s work with Afros In Tha City grew her passion for advocacy and increased her desire to align with organizations that were in pursuit of a more equitable tomorrow. Tomi believes that positive change happens by amplifying the voices of those who have been systemically silenced, which is why she feels honoured to be part of the Apathy is Boring team.

“Apathy is Boring is telling young people and marginalized people that our voices matter. It's eliminating barriers to democratic participation and ensuring that those who are often silenced and overlooked get a say. I feel so incredibly grateful to be a part of that.”

Yasmine Izmeth

(She/Her)

Yasmine is a Sri Lankan Malay-Canadian who was raised in different parts of the GTA. Her curiosity, travel experiences, and academic foundation led her to pursue a degree in International Development at McGill University. She dove straight into community projects and advocacy where she learned about different languages of community collaboration and youth capabilities of changing how inefficient systems run. Yasmine's interests lie in anti-sexual violence advocacy, women’s empowerment, and newcomer integration.

Her love of design, creativity, and big picture thinking carries her into makeup artistry, modelling, and community engagement in Montreal and Toronto. 

"You can see evidence of Apathy is Boring’s youth-led, BIPOC-focused, low barrier entryways to community engagement across its programs and platforms. I’m happy to be a part of a team that practices what it preaches."