- Staff
- Board of Directors
- Advisory Members
- Volunteer Team
Anastasia Gaisenok – Executive Director
Anastasia was born and raised in Belarus, and has been living on unceded Coast Salish territories since 2003. Her passion is building a more just and sustainable world through education, and she is incredibly honoured to lead the amazing Check Your Head team. Anastasia brings more than a decade of experience in leadership, community organizing, […]
Emily Gorham – Education Program Coordinator
Emily is passionate about transformative educational experiences for youth, through a peer-to-peer popular education model, as a way to create a more just, equitable, inclusive, and loving future. She thrives collaborating with diverse communities and, as an activist and educator, is deeply committed to anti-oppression frameworks: anti-racist, anti-colonial, anti-capitalist, and feminist approaches to name a […]
Adrienne Yeung – Operations and Project Coordinator
Adrienne (she/her/hers) is thrilled to be part of the Check Your Head team. She is a Chinese-Canadian settler who brings a diverse range of academic and lived experience. In her recent Master of Public health degree from Simon Fraser University, she explored the tools for resilience that queer people of colour use to shape their […]
Gavin Liang – Communications Intern
Gavin (he, him, his) recently completed his Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a minor in Print and Digital Publishing at Simon Fraser University. Growing up as a queer Chinese settler, much of his interests centres around media representation and approaches to building inclusive and accessible initiatives often through art and activism. Over the years, Gavin has been […]
Dakota Shelby – Youth Peer Leader
Dakota is excited to be a Youth Peer Leader and facilitator with Check Your Head. They have been with CYH since 2017 where they participated in the Poverty and Income Inequality cohort which sparked their interest in facilitation. Over the last few years Dakota’s interest in social justice has developed, and their focus is now […]
Anita Shen – Youth Peer Leader
Identifying as queer, an immigrant, and a former youth in care, Anita is currently a nursing student. They are interested in social determinants of health, environmental justice, migrant justice, and sex worker rights. They are actively working to decolonize their perspective while living on the stolen land of the sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm […]
Aida Mwanzia – Youth Peer Leader
Aida is driven by her mission to connect and empower youth through transformative educational programs, which is why she’s so excited to be part of the Check Your Head team as a Youth Peer Leader! With roots in Kenya, her curiosity and love for travel led her to arrive on Coast Salish territories in Vancouver, […]
Annette Angell
Annette believes strongly in the power of popular education to build collective knowledge and action. After finishing her Bachelor of Environmental Studies (B.E.S., minor in International Development Studies) at York University, she began working in the non-profit sector overseeing public health education campaigns and investigating complaints for the College of Opticians of BC. Since then, she […]
Teri dela Rosa
Teri lives to challenge the ways we solve problems within organizations. Why? Because she believes every knot can be untangled. Teri places a high value on taking a creative, innovative, and long-term approach to facing challenges and improving programs, and she is delighted to be joining Check Your Head to help support their long-term mission. Prior […]
Naureen Ali
Naureen is a Chartered Professional Accountant working at the University of British Columbia, and has experience in financial reporting, analysis and business strategy. She recently completed her Masters in Education with a concentration in Society, Culture and Politics in Education. During her graduate program she realized she wanted to find ways to connect financial literacy and […]
Sofia Vitalis
Sofia was born and raised on the unceded lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw, and mi ce:p kʷətxʷiləm Nations. Sofia has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Simon Fraser University, where she realized her passion for thinking reflectively and seeing the world through an intersectional lens. She has honed-in on these passions through the work she does […]
Jen Cook
Jen is a visual designer and creative director whose relationship to activism is still taking shape. After completing a B.Des at Emily Carr University and designing for a few different industries, she realized that working with organizations who are directly addressing social injustices was where she wanted to focus her career. She’s been working nearly […]
Sarah Coates
Sarah is proud to join Check Your Head’s proud history and visionary future as a board member. She is a high school teacher in Vancouver with a decade of classroom experience, and has been working with youth outside of the classroom in coaching and mentorship capacities for two decades. She is passionate about finding ways […]
Humaira Hamid
Humaira is a life-pondering philosopher-activist, relentlessly curious about the human condition and exploring the question: “How did things come to be this way?” Her meaning-making led her to marry an academic background in biology and psychology (B.Sc. from University of British Columbia) with a background in experience design, to cultivate a body of work rooted […]
Megan Ryland
Born in Winnipeg and raised in Calgary, Megan moved to Vancouver to pursue a degree in Political Science and Women’s and Gender Studies at UBC. Her love of education is about a passion for understanding the world and our place in it. She discovered social justice work in high school through feminism, first getting interested […]
Catherine Ludgate
Catherine Ludgate is a senior manager of community investment at Vancity credit union. Here, Catherine provides support to and participates in partnerships dedicated to social justice and financial inclusion, including the Living Wage for Families Campaign and the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition. She oversees microfinance work at Vancity, helps design various inclusive banking programs, and […]
John Kay
Advisory Members aka Wizard’s Council Since 2012, John has guided Realize Strategies to become a leader in impact-driven strategy and executive search. He values innovative approaches to finding solutions and supporting impact-driven businesses to succeed in their missions. Prior to joining Realize, John held several senior positions in the private and public sectors both in […]
Deanna Ogle
Deanna describes herself as a Jane of all Trades. She has worked all sorts of jobs ranging from cleaning hotel rooms to direct service in women’s organizations to organizing campaigns. This diverse work history has given her a solid tool kit that allows her to accomplish a lot with very few resources. Most recently Deanna […]
Catherine Gordon
Catherine is currently the Director of Human Resources for Canuck Place Children’s Hospice. Prior to that she worked for the David Suzuki Foundation leading their HR function, the BC College of Teachers and Rocket Gaming Systems in Canada. Originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, she started her HR career in London, U.K. at a recruitment agency, Goodman […]
Vanessa Boadu
Vanessa is a third year student in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Vancouver Community College who is excited to be working with Check for her population health practicum. With the aspiration to become a paediatric nurse, she is hoping to learn skills that will help her to collaborate with youth and engage them […]
Olivia Buchanan
Olivia is looking forward to participating in the important work that Check Your Head is doing. She was born and raised in Canada. She is in her final year of Nursing School in which she will become a Registered Nurse and graduate with a Bachelor’s of Science and Nursing degree from Vancouver Community College. In […]
Yuxuan (Ashly) Chen
Yuxuan (Ashly) is a third year UBC student currently majoring in Mathematics. She came to Vancouver three years ago after finishing high school in China. Passionate about being an educator, she hopes to start her Bachelor of education after graduating. Through repeated exposure to social justice and political information in the general media, she has […]
Adrian Hardjojo
Adrian is excited to join the Check Your Head team. With the interest of learning more about the social, economic, and environmental justice, Adrian will be coming in win an open mind. Graduating in a few months with a Bachelors in Food, Nutrition, & Health from UBC, he is all about the healthy lifestyle and […]
Em
Em is a recent graduate of Prince of Wales Mini School and is now studying psychology and social justice at the University of British Columbia. They spent their high school years chairing the Vancouver School Board Sustainability Conference, coordinating for the BC Heritage Fairs Society, and working for Metro Vancouver Youth4Action. Through these opportunities, Em […]
Rafa
Born and raised in Brazil, Rafa (Ha-fa) is currently studying Sustainable Agriculture at UBC. Having lived in Costa Rica prior to coming to Coast Salish Territories, Rafa is deeply passionate about issues that surround the interface between Agriculture, Conservation and Development. A plant nerd native to the tropics, he hopes to learn more about the […]
Areeka
Areeka is completing a degree in International Relations and Religion and Literature, with academic focuses on decolonization and migration. She identifies as a ‘third culture kid,’ and based on her experiences balancing identities as an American-Pakistani Settler, her sense of belonging extends beyond cultures and borders. Through her community-activism and her role at CYH, Areeka is actively involved […]
Marianne Wu
A sociology graduate, Marianne is passionate about intercultural and intersectional dialogues in her communities. With roots in China, and travel experiences in many different cultures, she puts her focus in creating safe and interactive spaces for people to listen to, share, and respect each other’s unique living experiences and perspectives. She is also a facilitatior at […]
Priyanka Krishna
Priyanka is delighted to be part of the Check Your Head team as the Communications Intern. She was born in India, lived in Dubai and now calls Canada home. She is a third-year student at SFU who is currently pursuing a double BA in Communications and Health Sciences. She is passionate about public health, equality, […]
Abbie Wang
Abbie is a Grade 11 student attending Magee Secondary School in Vancouver. She is passionate about psychology, open to divergent ideas and excited about new ways of thinking. She wants to educate herself through Check Your Head about social justice issues as well as create an impact within the community through her work. She believes […]
Corinna Calder
Born and raised as a settler on Secwepemc territory (Kamloops, B.C.), Practicum Student Corinna arrived on Coast Salish territories in Vancouver in 2016 to finish her undergraduate degree at UBC. She is majoring in Gender, Race, Sexuality & Social Justice (GRSJ) and minoring in English Literature, and is hoping to start her Bachelor of Education […]
Sarah Day
Sarah Day was born and raised in Vancouver, and is now a student at UBC hoping to major in International Relations. Previously, she has facilitated workshops across the Lower Mainland on mental health and listening skills. As a Check Your Head facilitator she is excited to join with other volunteers in equipping youth with the tools […]
Noni Nabors
Originally from Treaty 7 lands (Calgary, Alberta) Noni moved to Vancouver for university. She studied Sustainability & Food Systems at UBC and graduated in 2017. Currently she works at the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm running three weekly farm markets. She believes there are better, most just ways of living together and […]
Lincoln Saugstad
I’m a fourth year university student, currently completing a degree in Sustainable Policy Studiesat Kwantlen University. I have a wide array of interests having completed a certificate in Fine Arts at KPU, a Horticulture Technician Certificate at VIU and the Global Stewardship program atCapilano University. I otherwise spend my time exploring my place in the […]
Rachel Cheang
Born and raised in Singapore, Rachel is now pursuing a major in Human Geography and International Relations. She is interested in the intersection of urban systems and food systems through a social justice lens. Rachel has worked as a youth counsellor, conducting workshops focused on mental health and self-awareness, and co-founded a social enterprise back […]
Daniela Gallegos
Daniela is a third year UBC student pursuing an Honours degree in Political Science and minoring in International Relations. Her top three hobbies are dancing, cooking, and talking about…. anything. She was born and raised in a low-income household in Ecuador, studied in a public high school, and did not know English one year before coming to Vancouver! […]
Stephanie Langdeau
Stephanie is an SFU graduate who studied rhetoric and writing as well as minored in education. She currently helps facilitate the Let’s talk and Communication workshops at SFU while working closely with international students as an EAL peer. Being a consummate learner, Stephanie is thrilled for the chance to engage in dialogues on such important […]
Tina Madani Kia
Blog Coordinator Tina is a third year student studying Immunology and Physiology at the University of British Columbia. She and her family immigrated from Iran to Canada when she was five years old. She became passionate about feminism and social justice through her first Tumblr blog, and since then she has been passionate about writing and […]