YOUNG ADULT NOMINEES
For leading by example and being an inspiring role model to her peers.
Award Presented by:
Sky Elliott
Sky is always looking to make those that are going through hard times smile. At just 12 years old she started her own small bath bomb business to raise money for families going through difficult times. Sky is now almost 18 and has raised over $8000 to help out families. She has donated to JDRF, KidsAbility, and families with children battling cancer or other illnesses. These families were complete strangers to Sky but she needed to help. This past Easter she made up baskets for the less fortunate and handed them out on the streets of KW.
Shayla Herold
Shay has participated in many leadership opportunities and is the co-owner of "Ruthven's Raven". She is a youth leader for the "Schwaben Club", not just for the local Kitchener club, but on the Canadian Verband, and has sat on many committees from the Cambridge Youth Council with the city of Cambridge and the Indigenous People's Youth Council of Waterloo region. She works with the local high-schools where she does conferences speaking on LGBTQ+ topics as well as teaching about Indigenous culture as a Two Spirited person. She is a host and community producer of Rogers TV show, "Generation Z" that is on hold due to covid, but discusses topics that can inspire, or teach people of that generation.
Ingrid Kaffka
While still in her undergrad, Ingrid is praised by every employer for her outstanding achievements in the workplace and recently by the University of Waterloo for winning co-op student of the year for the Faculty of Arts. She is a prime example of hard work, determination, and leadership. She inspires not only women and others at her university by volunteering with student societies on campus, she inspires all around her to put forward their best selves everyday. Her empathy, selflessness, work ethic, determination, and unwavering positive mindset are qualities that most everyone will inspire to achieve and Ingrid is the perfect person to head their determination to reach these qualities.
McKenna Murray
McKenna is a dedicated and respected young leader within Wilfrid Laurier University and the Waterloo community. She has shown continuous commitment not only to Athletics & Recreation within the University but also to the students around her. She is a natural born leader that has long been involved in sport with a background in Cheerleading as both an athlete and coach. She has a true passion for sport game days and is always ready and more than willing to lend a hand to anyone around her.
Llewellyn Robinson
Llewellyn is a strong leader, as they were the GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) at their high school for three years and has received awards in the past for their abilities. They have a natural talent for public speaking, having done presentations with Kitchener City Hall in partnership with their High School. They have been a key-note speaker for Ok2BeMe (KW Counselling) representing a part of the LGBTQ+ community at events. They also helped organize conferences with Ok2BeMe as a Youth Leader. Llewellyn is a strong ally to the indigionus communities during presentations with local high schools.
Bohdana Tyshchenko
Bohdana advocates for the success and well-being of others, both here in KW and in her home country of Ukraine. She is a force of wisdom beyond her years and experience, has demonstrated great strength and selflessness in the face of challenge and adversity, and uses her vision and courage to help others create, succeed, and thrive. Bohdana pitched, developed, and championed the “hire Ukraine” program at Weavik, where the company is now focusing efforts towards recruiting and hiring Ukrainian refugees coming to the KW area. She is using her platform and position to secure safe and meaningful work for those affected by the crisis in Ukraine, and positively impact the experiences of others.
Afra Fatima
Afra is an incredibly caring and brilliant young mind. In 2020, at 17 years old she launched Eterna Beauty, which started as a small business cosmetic company. In addition to that Eterna Beauty aims to provide food, water, and other support to orphanages in Uganda. Afra dedicates a percentage of monthly profits to people in need, whether they are local or international. Afra also works as a program manager for Public Outreach. She adores her job because it provides her with the opportunity to connect with her community while also fundraising for the biggest and most impactful charities in Canada.
Camille Huo
Camille is a 3rd year pharmacy student at the University of Waterloo’s School of Pharmacy. She is a passionate leader, an advocate for her fellow pharmacy students, and an outstanding co-op student. Camille is the Senior National Representative of the Waterloo chapter of CAPSI (Canadian Association of Pharmacy Students and Interns) as well as the Senior Communications Director of UW SOPhS (University of Waterloo Society of Pharmacy Students).
Genevieve Merz
Genevieve is being nominated for her entrepreneurship, volunteerism, and devotion to making the world a better place. She is an entrepreneur who showed resilience by pivoting her business during the pandemic; a founder of 2 clubs at her High School (SheEO club for girl entrepreneurs + American Sign language Club) inspiring kids to get engaged; is independently running her prom; a community volunteer, a scholar and an athlete. At the age of 14, Gen started her own business renting grade 8 graduation dresses to young girls who could not afford to buy ‘new’. She built a business plan, secured start-up money (debt), acquired inventory and made it all happen on her own.
Sarah Odinotski
During Sarah’s 5 years at Conrad Grebel, she has acted in the capacity of resident, orientation leader, student ambassador, and apartment superintendent. Sarah became the Speaker Relations Director for the Waterloo Nano Conference: a student-founded international conference open to the public. Sarah worked to bridge the gap between students and employers by creating interactive breakout rooms and networking sessions, allowing students to meet employers and learn about the skills they value. Sarah’s openness to share her experience, and her support for other students is truly inspiring.
Emma Schuster
Emma is a meticulous researcher, creative, and a dedicated team player. When she joined Habitat for Humanity Ontario Gateway North as a Social Media co-op student, she had already researched our organization, our brand user guide, and came prepared to work. Her Co-Op position was the promotion of our mission of bringing communities together to help families build strength, stability, and self-reliance through affordable home ownership. She utilized our digital platform to promote our mission, engage our followers, and engage new ones in posts that gained attention far beyond our affiliate territory.
Kenzy Soror
Kenzy Soror is an outstanding young woman. She displays maturity and leadership skills well beyond her 16 years of age. It is impressive how well she manages to balance her commitment to academics, earning a 97% avg, while playing competitive volleyball and fulfilling her duties as a WRDSB Student Trustee. She displays incredible community involvement through participation in Junior Achievement, volunteering for KW Leos Club, and has led a team that created a non-profit app that limits food wastage in households.