YOUNG ADULT AWARD
For leading by example and being an inspiring role model to their peers.
Award Presented By: Jennifer Breaton, YW Kitchener-Waterloo
YOUNG ADULT NOMINEES
Delaney Armstrong
Delaney Armstrong is a student leader and early‑career finance professional with a track record of leadership and mentorship. At the University of Waterloo, she served as Captain of the Equestrian Team, earning consistent recognition across the Ontario Collegiate Equestrian Association. Professionally, Delaney stood out as an Analyst at the Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO), where her initiative and work ethic left a lasting impression. Alongside her career, she has been an active mentor in Waterloo’s Student Investment Fund, supporting and encouraging women pursuing finance careers.
Mireya Avila Cano
Mireya Avila Cano is a passionate leader, social justice advocate and community builder from the Waterloo Region. Her commitment to gender-based violence prevention was shaped by the on-going femicide epidemic in Honduras- an experience that continues to inform her advocacy. Since beginning her work in the sector at just 18, Mireya has contributed through both professional and volunteer roles, supporting survivors and strengthening community care. As a Latinx queer woman and survivor, she brings lived experience, compassion, and cultural awareness to her work. A graduate of George Brown College’s Assaulted Women’s and Children’s program (2022), Mireya is entering her final year in Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management at Carleton University. She is committed to advancing safer, more inclusive communities through advocacy and systemic change.
Sarah Bayrakdarian
Driven by a belief that stronger communities create better health, Sarah is a young leader committed to meaningful impact. A Public Health student at the University of Waterloo, she leads as the President of Waterloo Global Brigades, a Faculty of Health Ambassador, and a research assistant in the Nutrition and Aging Lab. Her commitment extends beyond campus through cancer survivorship volunteering and her work term at the Odette Cancer Centre, where she contributed to research published and presented internationally. Through leadership, research, and service in the Waterloo Region and beyond, Sarah embodies the spirit of the Jennifer Campbell Youth Scholarship.
Sierra Blackburn
Sierra is a third-year student pursuing a degree in Biotechnology/Chartered Professional Accountancy at the University of Waterloo. She is a dedicated accounting professional who recently completed a co-op term as a Staff Accountant at KPMG Canada, where she supported audit engagements for organizations across multiple industries. Alongside her academic and professional commitments, Sierra is a high performance athlete and national field hockey player who has represented Canada internationally. She currently competes on the University of Waterloo varsity women’s field hockey team and ringette team.
Katarina Brezovan
A dedicated athlete and emerging leader, Katarina is a varsity swimmer at Laurier and current women’s team captain. With 17 years in the sport, including 14 competitively, she brings deep experience to her role as Head Coach of the Waeg Waves in Nova Scotia. Named 2024 Nova Scotia Summer Swimming Coach of the Year, she is recognized for her athlete-first philosophy and community impact. Passionate about fostering inclusive, positive environments, she emphasizes confidence, belonging, and long-term development. A strong advocate for female leadership in sport, she mentors young athletes while championing equity, helping shape the next generation.
Abby Byers
Abby Byers is a third-year Laurier varsity student-athlete competing in track and women's rugby, maintaining an outstanding 10.2 GPA. A former top-10 nationally ranked alpine ski racer, Abby has transitioned her high-performance experience into meaningful coaching and mentorship. She currently coaches youth athletes at Chicopee Ski Club and Devil’s Glen, fostering confidence, teamwork, and resilience. Abby is deeply committed to giving back to the communities that shaped her, serving as a strong female role model for young athletes. Through sport, she promotes personal growth, discipline, and self-belief, inspiring others to pursue excellence both on and off the field.
Samantha Di Salvo
Samantha Di Salvo is a hard working 20 year old who is currently enrolled at Wilfrid Laurier University. She is in the process of completing her third year of school, majoring in communications with a leadership minor while also being a part of co-op. Samantha demonstrates clear makings of a leader and is a very outgoing, positive, responsible, and kind hearted. She has an amazing work ethic and always succeeds in everything she puts her mind to.
Maia Flinton
Maia Flinton is a dedicated student at Wilfrid Laurier University whose leadership and community involvement set her apart as an emerging young changemaker. Passionate about fostering inclusive spaces, Maia actively contributes to campus initiatives that support student well-being, mentorship, and engagement. She has demonstrated a strong commitment to volunteerism within the Kitchener-Waterloo community, balancing academic excellence with meaningful service. Known for her collaborative spirit and thoughtful leadership, Maia inspires her peers to get involved and make a difference. Her drive, compassion, and integrity reflect the values celebrated by the Oktoberfest Women of the Year Awards in the Young Adult category.
Nancy Ge
Nancy Ge is a Grade 12 student at Laurel Heights Secondary School in Waterloo. Born and raised in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, she has shown a strong passion for art ever since young. She has spent the past decade refining her technical skills and developing a distinctive artistic voice, creating numerous works and earning national recognition along the way. Beyond her artistic pursuits, she remains an active, enthusiastic leader within her school and local community. In her spare time, Nancy enjoys playing piano, tennis, reading, travelling and making mini models. She is planning to pursue post-secondary education in September 2026.
Allysa Greidanus
Allysa Greidanus is a 23-year-old honours chemistry student at the University of Waterloo. Allysa was a co-op student in my chemistry lab from January-August 2025, and she made such a tremendous impact that she was awarded the Faculty of Science co-op student of the year award, and was nominated for the analogous Ontario EWO Award. She is a wonderful young talent in Chemistry.
Anne Hambly
Anne Hambly is a third year Honours Biology student at the University of Waterloo whose work bridges science, service, and lived experience. After years of navigating complex facial injuries, she is pursuing a career in surgery. She contributes to research on sex differences in pain processing and supports cancer survivors through adaptive fitness programming. Alongside strong academic achievement and multiple merit awards, she mentors peers and brings practical insight to health and rehabilitation. Anne’s impact comes from consistent, thoughtful effort across research, community, and leadership.
Ayona Jaswal
Ayona Jaswal is a 15-year-old powerhouse and the founder of The Kindness and Smile Zone, a global youth-led organization. Turning her own journey as a pediatric patient into a platform for change, Ayona has built a movement that has reached 3,000+ views and impacted 400+ children across 10+ countries in less than one year. A Grade 10 high achieving, honors student and published author of Colors of Courage, she leads a global team of 25 international volunteers. Ayona is a CBC-featured visionary who proves that age is truly no barrier to creating and leading massive and measurable social impact worldwide.
Gurnoor Kaur
Gurnoor Kaur’s extensive volunteerism and STEM endeavors have left a lasting impacting in the Waterloo Region. As a current high-school student at Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute, she is heavily involved within her school and our community. Gurnoor has been part of four varsity sports teams and leads the Science Fair Council as their co-founder and current co-president. Gurnoor is recognized by her teachers and peers as an exemplary student whose academic passions have helped build the community of Cameron Heights and Kitchener-Waterloo with the many awards and recognitions she has received and won.
Kamryn Szumlinski
Kamryn Szumlinski is a distinguished student-athlete and community leader currently studying Kinesiology at Wilfrid Laurier University. A member of the Laurier Women’s Hockey Team and a 2026 Outstanding Women of Laurier finalist, Kamryn’s athletic career is marked by historic milestones, including serving as the first-ever captain for Team Ontario Girls Tackle Football. Beyond athletics, she is a dedicated mentor, coaching youth hockey and advocating for inclusivity as a Motionball Athlete Ambassador for the Special Olympics. Her commitment to excellence, leadership, and community service makes her an outstanding representative for the Young Adult award.
Zoe Talbot
Zoe Talbot is a Mechanical Systems Engineering graduate and Engineer-in-Training (EIT) who has become a powerful advocate for women in engineering across Waterloo Region. As EIT Vice President of the Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) Grand River Chapter and a frequent engineering event speaker, she plays a key leadership role in driving engineering advocacy within Waterloo Region, championing women’s representation in a traditionally male-dominated field, and building sustainable pathways for the next generation of engineers to lead with confidence and impact. Through sustained leadership, mentorship, and public advocacy, Zoe is helping redefine what leadership in engineering looks like.
Brianna Thomas
Brianna is an Honours Science and Business student at the University of Waterloo whose work connects applied scientific research with real-world impact and student leadership. Through her co-op placements with Ceragen, a Kitchener-based biotechnology startup, she has contributed over 2,000 hours of laboratory research, supporting the development of disease detection protocols for key plant pathogens. She has helped improve laboratory workflows to increase efficiency and reduce testing costs, and has supported large-scale greenhouse trials. Beyond research, she has supported other students through mentorship as a Velocity Campus Ambassador and Orientation Leader, reflecting her commitment to scientific and community impact.
Giang Tran
Giang is a third-year Global Business and Digital Arts student at the University of Waterloo who moved to Canada alone from Vietnam at 16 to pursue her passion for art and design. Through Socratica, a global collective supported by organizations like Anthropic and Shopify, she helps bring thousands of young makers and builders from 40 chapters across five continents to Waterloo-Kitchener, establishing the region as a major hub for creativity. She also created a 17-foot award-winning mural, led brand, web and product design for 10+ startups and enterprises, while maintaining academic excellence. After completing her first ever co-op term, she received the University of Waterloo’s most prestigious Co-op Student of the Year Award, continuously showing remarkable resilience and selfless community dedication.
Henriëtta van Niekerk
Henriëtta van Niekerk is the founder and CEO of Skrimp, an AI-powered platform helping Canadian families reduce their grocery bills through automated flyer parsing, personalized meal planning, and optimized shopping lists. As a student at the University of Waterloo, Henriëtta launched her venture while still in school and is preparing to launch her career as a full-time entrepreneur after graduation. The Skrimp app now serves families in regions across Southern Ontario and can save them over $5,000 in grocery costs annually (expected annual spend is ~$16,000), tackling the critical cost of living crisis facing Canadians today.
