Meet The Blog Team!

When COVID-19 first hit in March 2020, the City of Edmonton merged all messaging in an effort to centralize its pandemic response and communications — this meant CEYC also had to go silent. BUT we are now back and ready to get started, showcasing the best of what Edmonton’s youth has to offer. In the following days, Sithara Naidoo, the lead for the CEYC Blog Initiative, and Anwi Patel, will be introducing new content and faces, so make sure to keep a look out! #ceyc

Sithara Naidoo (she/her)

Meet Sithara! Sithara is finishing her first year at the University of Alberta, Campus Saint-Jean. She is pursuing a bilingual Arts degree with a major in Political Science and a minor in History. In the future, Sithara would like to study Law. This is Sithara’s first year as a member of CEYC; she serves as a Youth-At-Large and is the lead of the Blog Initiative. As the Blog’s editor, Sithara plans to help build a platform where youth can feel represented, learn about their city, get involved and access resources regarding mental health, digestible politics and more. She is also committed to using the Blog as a platform for multilingual publishing.

Most of Sithara’s journalism experience comes from her involvement with The Gateway, the University of Alberta student journalism society. She is a senior volunteer contributor to The Gateway directs Le Mouton Noir, Campus Saint-Jean’s francophone column that is published by The Gateway. Otherwise, Sithara is an avid reader with a special interest in all things Harry Potter! When she isn’t reading, she can be found eating brunch at a local restaurant, perfecting her peach pie recipe or shamelessly listening to One Direction. You can connect with Sithara on LinkedIn or on Twitter @SitharaNaidoo.

Anwi Patel (she/her)

Meet Anwi! Anwi is a Grade 10 student at McNally Composite High School, pursuing an International Baccalaureate Diploma. After high school, she hopes to complete a Bachelor’s of Secondary Education and become a high school teacher later on. Currently serving in her second year as a Youth-At-Large on CEYC, Anwi is also the Co-Chair of the Internal Affairs Subcommittee. She has taken Indian Classical dance lessons for 4 years and is currently learning how to play the piano. Her favourite movie is Clueless and her favourite book is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

A random fact about Anwi is that she loves writing essays and although she thinks this makes her weird, she believes that contributing to the CEYC Blog will only further spark her love for analytical writing. At school, Anwi is a part of the Tigers WorldWide Club that strives to raise awareness about Global Issues. Anwi is also serving as a committee member for planning a Youth Relay fundraiser as a part of the Canadian Cancer Society. She believes that both of these opportunities allows her to give back to her community. You can connect with her on LinkedIn and follow her on Instagram at @anwi.patel.

Callum LaRoi (he/him)

Meet Callum! Callum is a Grade 9 student at Highlands Junior High. This is Callum’s first year volunteering with CEYC. He is currently a member of the Projects subcommittee, co-leads the Paths for People Initiative and is a contributor to the CEYC Blog. Furthermore, Callum is passionate about environmental activism and is a member of the CEYC Environmental Webinar. Callum also is an avid aviation enthusiast! He is interested in airlines, airplanes, and almost anything else related to the subject. He hopes to one day work in the airline industry.

Callum founded and directs his school’s news network alongside his friend, and has decided to join the Blog team because he would like to continue his journey in writing and develop this skill that he is deeply passionate about. His favourite part about writing is telling stories and he looks forward to further improving his skills as a contributor to this blog.

Avani Kaur Ladhar (she/her)

Meet Avani! Avani is a Edmonton Youth Councillor at CEYC and has been a part of the organization for seven months. She is finishing her undergraduate degree at the University of Alberta with a major in Political Science and Women and Gender Studies (WGS) with a certificate in Community Service Learning. After graduating, Avani plans to continue working with marginalized populations especially in the area of child and youth advocacy through the Youth Restorative Action Project (YRAP). She is also taking some time off to spend with her family and travel. If she isn’t at a local eatery, you can find Avani in the Edmonton River Valley enjoying the outdoors, taking photos, or at a bookstore.

As a contributor to the CEYC Blog, Avani will be writing about eating local (among other topics) while learning about the behind the scenes of running a blog. If you need a restaurant recommendation, a new cafe to check out or an opinion on where to get the best croissant, Avani’s food column will be the place to be! You can follow her on Twitter at @ladhar_avani.

Karina Banerji (she/her)

Meet Karina! Karina is a Grade 11 student at Jasper Place Highschool in the AP program and she hopes to study economics or design in post secondary. It is Karina’s first year on CEYC, she serves as a Youth-At-Large member and is a part of the projects subcommittee. Outside of CEYC, Karina enjoys a variety of hobbies including going for walks with her friends, cooking, and video and photo editing. A cool skill she has is being able to imitate penguins!

Karina believes that being a part of the Blog team will further amplify the voices and spread the opinions of youth in Edmonton, sparking creativity throughout the city. You can follow her on Instagram at @karina_banerji .

Tiffany Phan (she/her)

Meet Tiffany! Tiffany is a Grade 10 student at Lillian Osborne High School, and would like to pursue a career in the medical field. She is also in her first year volunteering with CEYC and she serves as a Youth-At-Large on the projects subcommittee. Tiffany loves watching Marvel movies, reading books and listening to music because it allows her to escape into a different world and gives her an opportunity to relax and do something that she enjoys.

As a member of her school’s newspaper club, she passionately contributes her thoughts, ideas and perspectives on those topics. She recently interviewed the Black Teachers Association of Alberta to raise awareness about discrimination. With an interest in the world around her, Tiffany believes that current events are very important and she is eager to learn more through her involvement with the Blog Team. She hopes to increase a sense of community within Edmonton youth and looks forward to writing about local events. You can follow her at @tiffanyy.phann on Instagram and connect with her on LinkedIn.

There you have it! CEYC's 2020-2021 term of blog members! Stay tuned for more articles coming up in the future!