Youth Advisory Council

Zachary is an 11-year-old from Ottawa, Ontario. He is an avid reader who seizes every opportunity to learn about history, geography and science. This enthusiasm has led him to take engineering classes with the Faculty of Engineering (for kids) at the University of Ottawa.

Zachary is passionate about advocating for children’s rights and raising public awareness about climate change. His involvement with the Youth Canadians’ Parliament (YCP) and  the Children First Canada’s Youth Advisory Council is a testament to his strong belief in amplifying children’s voices. At the age of 10, he became a Child Ambassador for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) –  Voices of Future Generations (a worldwide Project supported by UNESCO) – after winning the silver medal for his book about children’s rights entitled “Reda’s Little Village” .

Zachary is fluent in English, French, and Arabic and is currently taking Italian and Spanish lessons. In his free time, he enjoys playing the piano, swimming, cycling, and reading. He is also a member of a soccer team in Ottawa.

He is very happy to begin his first year as a member of the Youth Advisory Council for Children First Canada and work with like-minded peers !

Lily is a student, social media educator, and advocate, passionate about international human rights, climate change, and education. She posts daily climate news on social media, highlighting its disproportionate impact on marginalized communities.

In August, Lily had the privilege of representing the United Nations Association of Canada at the GEF Assembly. That same month, she attended the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York. In October, she will attend the annual meeting of the IMF and World Bank, where she will advocate for the inclusion of climate change in K-12 curriculums.

At school, Lily plays an active role on the Environmental and Sustainability Council, student council, and was apart of the
organizing team for her local TEDx event.

I am passionate about social justice, particularly in ensuring equitable access to mental and physical health programs and advocating for children’s rights. As a Canadian citizen with African and European heritage, I celebrate and love inclusion and diversity, which I believe will enhance our mission.

My journey in martial arts to earn my black belt has instilled in me essential values such as respect, responsibility, and integrity, which I am eager to use for the benefit of others. Throughout this journey, I have also honed qualities like courtesy and fairness. Additionally, my passion for kart racing has enhanced my physical skills, competitiveness, reflexes, and self-control. Together, these abilities create a strong foundation for my work with the Youth Advisory Council (YAC).

Joining the YAC presents an exciting opportunity for me to make a difference, connect with new people, and expand my knowledge. I am particularly eager to engage in concrete initiatives that ensure equitable access to mental and physical health resources for all young people and promote inclusive education.

I speak four languages, which allows me to communicate effectively and connect with diverse communities. I look forward to collaborating with organizations that share my commitment to child rights and exploring new avenues to advocate for fairness and equality. Together, I believe we can develop accessible and impactful programs that meet the needs of youth and empower them to reach their full potential.

Henry is a grade 12 student at Rundle College in Calgary, Alberta. Born as a micro preemie twin with an early diagnosis of cerebral palsy, Henry is passionate about advocating for the disabled community. IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility) are all initiatives that fuel Henry’s desire to connect with the community.

Current boards that Henry is a standing youth member on are: IHDCYH (Institute of Human Development Child and Youth Advisory Council), Child and Youth Advisory Council (CAYAC) for Alberta Health Services, Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation Youth Council, SIPRC (Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre) Youth Advisory Council for the University of Calgary and the PONI Lab (Pediatric Onset of Neuromotor Impairment Lab) run by Alberta Children’s Hospital and University of Calgary. Henry is proudly the DEI prefect at Rundle College for the last two years.

Connecting with peers across Canada excites Henry to broaden his knowledge of Canadian Youth. Engaging members of equity deserving groups and combining his lived knowledge and experiences with biomedical engineering, Henry strives to create change in the worlds of both physical and mental health.

Landon Sanderson (He/Him) is a 16-year-old advocate residing in Winnipeg, Manitoba on Treaty 1 territory. He has been involved with a wealth of initiatives on a global, international, and local scale, stemming from conversations surrounding international relations, Indigenous rights, human rights, 2SLGBTQ+ liberation, and now children’s rights!

Landon is looking forward to his role on the Children First Youth Advisory Council because he believes that youth deserve a seat at the table when it comes to topics that concern them. He believes that young people are not just the leaders of tomorrow, but the leaders of today, and he will continue to fight for the perspectives and experiences of youth to be valued and considered in the aspect of important decisions.

In his free time, he enjoys participating in musical theatre productions, hanging out with his family and friends, and getting involved with his community. Landon cannot wait to begin catalyzing change and making a positive impact with his fellow Youth Advisory Council members!

Jan Nasibog is a 17-year-old, first-generation Filipino immigrant, living in rural Saskatchewan. They are passionate about advocating for children’s rights to fair education and is an active voice for marginalized youth. Over the past few years, Jan has voiced the issues and concerns of hundreds of students as a representative—their mission being to leave a positive impact on Saskatchewan education and help youth gain the quality of life they deserve.

Jan is an active member of their community, ranging from clubs, volunteering, church leadership, to working part-time, on top of other commitments. In their spare time, Jan channels their passion into creating art. Whether it would be through painting, writing, or crafting, they enjoy seeing projects from start to finish.

Having been affiliated with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education as a member of their Youth Council, a Youth Consultation member for the Sun West School Division—and a leader of other
advisory/community councils—Jan looks forward to collaborating with CFC’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC) to further advocate for children’s rights nationally. Jan believes the next step in creating a better tomorrow starts by taking the initiative today!

Pronouns: She/Her

Adelyn Newman-Ting pronouns she/her is 14 years old from Victoria BC. She lives with her parents and her dog Oscar. Her traditional name is Kesugilakw which means leader born to be, and her Chinese name is Ting Li-Wen. On her mother’s side she is Chinese from Taiwan and on her father’s side she is Kwakwaka’wakw, Coast Salish and English, Irish and Scottish.

Addy enjoys competitive jump roping (which is a sport!), art and field hockey. She is passionate about youth voices being heard as it will be their responsibility to make the world a better place.

When she was 12 she did a TEDxtalk with her father Carey Newman and wrote a book called Finding the Language as a UNESCO child author.

She is very excited to begin her first year as a member of the Youth Advisory Council for Children First Canada.

Pronouns: He/Him

Krish Budhrani is a 16 year old from Calgary, Alberta. He is passionate about advocating for those who lack the ability to do so. Having been a part of the Young Canadians’ Parliament since November of 2022, he has become more active in politics. He has been working on a project with Senator Kutcher, has met with Minister Gould, and has volunteered for his local MLA. He has also started working on his own initiative to take action against child abuse with a former Young Canadians’ Parliament member, also from the 2022-2023 cohort.

He spends most of his time studying or taking part in various clubs and extra-curriculars, favouring those that involve writing or speaking, such as the newspaper and debating. However, it has only been in the last little while that Krish has rediscovered a keen interest in the sciences — specifically in the health sciences. He is interested to see how he can merge those two interests during his time with the Youth Advisory Council, and find new ways to continue helping people.

Pronouns: She/Her

Lucy Diaz is a passionate, 16-year-old, advocate who has been raising awareness about accessibility issues for the last 4 years. Being a daughter of immigrants and sister of a full-time wheelchair user has given her a deeper understanding of different peoples’ perspectives, which has helped her to excel in her goals. She is a high school student with high academic aspirations, but she is also a photographer, book lover and coffee connoisseur.

Her advocacy work focuses on ensuring all built environments are accessible, especially washrooms. Lucy has worked with hospitals and other medical facilities to create washrooms that will be accessible for the people who visit there, including her sister. She advocates because her sister, who is non-verbal, cannot. Despite constant pushback, Lucy continues to advocate because she knows that her sister and thousands of other disabled youth and adults need washrooms that are actually accessible.

Apart from her accessibility advocacy, Lucy advocates for climate action and is also on the alumni council of BC Heritage Fairs. She is very passionate about the preservation of history and is often researching historical topics she finds interesting, for example, Riverview Mental Hospital (now called Place of the Great Blue Heron) which she began to research at the beginning of the pandemic.

She is an active member of her church, which is Hispanic, often serving several times a week in several ministries, such as Sunday school and the Translation ministry (Spanish to English). Lucy Diaz believes that everyone deserves a voice, and if someone does not have a voice, she will use hers.

Pronouns: He/Him

Rayn Asaria is a passionate 11-year-old living in Toronto, Ontario. His mission is to inspire his generation to leave a positive impact on our world and he believes that we can all play our part—from a community level right up to a global view. Rayn is dedicated to ensuring that young peoples’ voices are heard by community leaders and politicians through social media and journalism. He currently attends the Toronto French School and aspires to be fluent in English and French.

He has been featured on Breakfast Television and CHYM 96.7, discussing his love for politics and community service. He is actively involved with Children First Canada, currently a Member of the Youth Advisory Council (YAC) and was a Junior Reporter for the 2021 federal election.

Besides leadership, he loves interacting with nature, trying new foods and playing with his two siblings and two cats, Rosie and Rolo.

Pronouns: She/Her

Rosette Matangwa is a 9th grader at a French Catholic high school, Monseigneur Jamot in Peterborough, Ontario. She has participated in programs such as ‘’Shaking the Movers” of the Department of Childhood and Youth Studies at King’s University College at Western University. She has been an active member of the ‘’Canadian Youth Parliament’’.

She is passionate about helping and improving the situation of Canadian youth and being able to make voices be heard. One of her main objectives is to resolve issues regarding youth’s mental health.

Aside from YAC, Rosette has been involved in the local community where youth are meeting to discuss youth-related issues.
She believes that:
– Making her voice and the voice of youth heard on important issues.
– Sharing solutions and recommendations for change.
– Providing feedback on ways to make the world a better place.
Are all equally important.

Rosette firmly believes in a Canada where children from different backgrounds have equal resources and opportunities to realize their dreams.

Rosette is fluently bilingual (English and French) and passionate about visual arts and music.

Pronouns: She/Her

Josephine Maharaj (she/her) is a youth rights advocate based in Ottawa, Ontario. She first joined the Young Canadians Parliament in 2022. As an active member of the program, Josephine participated in several meetings with Parliamentarians, and spoke on the issues affecting young Canadians. As a first time member of the Youth Advisory Council, she will continue to dedicate herself to speaking up and raising awareness towards all areas of youth advocacy. Josephine firmly believes in children and youth engaging in matters that affect their lives.

Pronouns: She/Her

Zelal Emre is a driven advocate and leader with a strong commitment to social impact, environmental sustainability, and education. As the founder of multiple social initiatives, she has spearheaded projects that address critical issues such as disaster relief and female empowerment. Recognized nationally for her persuasive speaking and leadership, Zelal has collaborated with diverse stakeholders, including politicians and corporate leaders, to bring about meaningful change.

In addition to her advocacy work, Zelal is a dedicated business student at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business, where she is a UBC Presidential Scholar. She has garnered over $200,000 in scholarship offers and is pursuing a career in corporate law, aiming to combine her passion for ethical business practices and social justice. Her work developing eco-friendly companies alongside launching national initiatives demonstrate her ability to balance academic excellence with practical experience.

Zelal’s leadership and passion for creating sustainable, long-term change reflect her commitment to building a better future for children and communities across Canada and beyond.

Pronoun: She/Her

I’m deeply passionate about children’s rights, driven by a commitment to addressing disparities in education, healthcare, and opportunities for marginalized children. This passion has led me to advocate for youth empowerment, mental health, and homelessness through various initiatives. As a member of my city’s youth advisory council, I collaborated with the Mayor and the city council to address issues affecting youth. In the Francophone district student council, I worked with other members to create a platform supporting youth in their mental health journeys. Additionally, I collaborated with my teacher and classmates to write a book about newcomers in our school, titled “Semblable malgré nos différences”, which was presented to New Brunswick’s Department of Education to highlight our shared similarities despite our differences.

Being part of the advisory council is an honor, as it allows me to amplify youth voices and influence decisions that directly impact young people. I joined the council to ensure that youth perspectives are considered in policymaking, particularly in areas like mental health and social justice.

Outside the council, I founded ODYCINE, a medicine club focused on raising health awareness and supporting aspiring medical students. I’ve also led projects addressing youth homelessness and served on multiple councils, including as the Mayor’s Youth Advisor. My involvement in these initiatives reflects my dedication to creating positive change and ensuring that every child’s rights are respected.

During my free time, I enjoy reading, going to the gym, and baking cakes. I also like to relax by watching series on Netflix while lying in bed.

Pronouns: He/Him

Jayden Paquet-Noiseux (17) is a passionate youth leader in his community of Mont Saint-Hilaire Qc and is a first-year student at the University of Ottawa. His work with Children First Canada has been multifaceted, from being a YCP Activator to hosting events, being a panellist, and volunteering as a facilitator and youth consultant. He now serves as the Chair of CFC’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC).

Jayden has always invested a lot of his time in his school’s community outreach programs and with other organizations that focus on helping others. School hasn’t particularly been easy for him as he was a victim of bullying at the primary level and has had to overcome a lot of hurdles due to ADHD, dyslexia and dyscalculia.

In the last few years, he has been recognized Provincially, winning many awards and scholarships such as The Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Youth. His dedication, perseverance, involvement and advocacy work continue to inspire youth and adults alike.

Pronouns: He/Him

Roman Wolfli is a 17 year-old from Calgary. Roman has been engaged with Children First Canada since the age of 11, participating and facilitating several in-person and online events. Roman has been passionate about politics from a very young age and feels that the youth voice must be incorporated into decision making. Roman also enjoys participating in his school’s debate and trivia teams.