YCRH Members – The Sandbox Project

2025 YCRH Members

YCRH members represent youth between the ages of 15-32 from across Canada in wide-ranging issues related to the health and well-being of young people. The YCRH seeks to include the perspectives of all races, ethnic origins, religions, gender identities, sexual orientations, socioeconomic statuses and abilities. The maximum age allowed to apply and/or act as a member of the YCRH is 32.

Become a member

Leadership Team

Raissa Amany
Executive Director
Algonquin Territory Ottawa, ON

Raissa Amany (she/her) is an award-winning social activist and public speaker, who is known for her work around youth engagement in health spaces.

Having personal experience of how health inequity affects marginalized populations, Raissa continues to advocate for the improvement of accessibility and equity within the pediatric healthcare sector. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Young Canadians Roundtable on Health. She leads over 70+ youths from across Canada in national child health advocacy and projects and leads collaborations with leading champion children’s organizations.

In her commitment to health equity, Raissa is also a research student with Our Kids’ Health, where she advises on youth engagement research guidelines and co-leading the Digital Health Youth Fellows Program. The fellows program teaches 20+ BIPOC youth the necessary skills to be health literacy champions and create evidence-based health promotion content tailored to their communities.

Beyond pediatrics, Raissa is a prominent youth expert in child and youth mental health and addictions. As an immigrant with multiple chronic illnesses, she currently serves on the Knowledge Institute for Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions Youth Advisory Committee. She also currently serves on the Youth Advisory Council at Kids Help Phone, providing her lived and professional expertise. She also served on the inaugural working group for the first national standardization of Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions with the Standards Council of Canada

Raissa’s leadership extends beyond academia. As a Youth Engagement Specialist at Children First Canada, she designed and delivered the “Young Canadians Parliament” program, engaging over 150 youth nationwide in learning more about their rights.

Raissa is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa and is an aspiring healthcare provider. She is also a first-generation immigrant of Indonesian descent raised on the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation (Ottawa, Ontario). She recently had the honour of being named one of the 2024 Top 25 Women of Influence.

For fun, she likes to try out new foods, overanalyze medical shows, and curling.

Stacie Smith
Executive Director
Halifax, Nova Scotia

Stacie Smith is an award-winning children and youth health advocate from Saint John, NB. She completed an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology from Dalhousie University in 2020 and a professional degree in Education from the University of New Brunswick in 2022. She is pursuing her Master’s in Arts in Education at Mount Saint Vincent University.

Stacie has been involved with the Young Canadians Roundtable on Health since 2020 in various roles, including the former Executive Director. She is the Youth Engagement Coordinator at Nourish Nova Scotia and the Education Outreach Specialist with Children First Canada.

In 2022, she was a Co-Chair of the Youth Advisory Council of the Youth Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Services Review conducted by the NB Child and Youth Advocate’s office.

She is passionate about school food, food insecurity, youth mental health, and youth engagement.

Anisha Dhillon

Director of Finance and Memberships

Victoria, British Columbia

Anisha graduated with her Bachelors of Health Sciences from Simon Fraser University in 2019 and is currently a Health Leadership student at British Columbia Institute of Technology. She was born and raised in Surrey, BC but is currently residing in Victoria, BC. Her passion is prevention in health care and she has built a strong foundation for that through her courses at SFU where she combined multi-disciplinary education and research of population and public health. Her education led her to an opportunity at Blume – a self care company that highlights the importance of transparency of ingredients and creating products (such as Organic Pads + Tampons) that are healthier and safer. Her role at Blume allows her to create a community that is a safe space to de-stigmatize normal things such as periods, puberty, and acne. In her free time, she enjoys cuddling with her puppy, going for walks, and playing basketball with her friends.

Kathleena Henricus

Senior Director

Toronto, Ontario

LinkedIn | Email

Kathleena (she/her) is a National Scholar at Western University studying International Relations, and at the School for Advanced Studies in the Arts & Humanities. With a passion for policy, development and equity, she is heavily involved in student politics and the non-profit sphere at the national level. She currently serves on the Board of Directors on the Western University Students’ Council, in addition to her work on the Senate. She is currently the CFO of a national legal education non-profit, and a national officer for HOSA Canada, which provides educational and competitive opportunities for the next generation of Canadian healthcare practitioners. Her belief in community investment and empowerment through education is exemplified by her work with UNICEF as well as SHAD Canada, and is something she hopes to emphasize and strive for within government in her role on the YCRH. She is committed to working with stakeholders and government at large to ensure greater focus and investment in holistic healthcare for all youth.

Estelle Alexander

Co-Director of Policy

Toronto, Ontario

My name is Estelle Alexander, and I am a fourth-year health promotion honours student at Dalhousie University. For my final semester, I am grateful to be interning at YCRH! Many of my interests and values align with those of YCRH, and I couldn’t imagine a better fit. Advocating for children’s and youth’s voices and well-being is something I am extremely passionate about. A lot of my work and interests focus on health law and policy, human rights activism, and public health. I am looking forward to exploring my passions and interests more with the YCRH and helping out in any way I can

Vidhi Desai

Co-Director of Research

Calgary, Alberta

Vidhi Desai (she/her) is a third year student majoring in Cellular, Molecular, Microbial Biology and Psychology at the University of Calgary. Volunteering in clinical settings, Vidhi has gotten to know the disparities present in modern day healthcare and topics that are not addressed to the extent that they could be. Having first-hand experience pertaining to the lack of advocacy present in mental health, and its effect on many immigrant/first nations communities; she recognizes the importance of becoming a leader in situations where not everyone has the chance to do so. Vidhi is determined to bring a new perspective relative to the discrepancies present in the healthcare system, and through collaboration and research, she is confident that differences can be made. In her free time, Vidhi also is a Director of Operations at an NPO that caters specifically to under presented minorities and youth who struggle academically, having worked as a tutor; she understands the effects of disregarding mental health especially considering the pressures put on today’s youth and children. Vidhi loves to paint, read, and learn about weird marine facts.

Bea is driven to make impactful changes and does so through her experiences as a policy research assistant supporting policy changes for improved mental health care accessibility for individuals with an intellectual or learning disability, or her leadership involvement in executive committees at UNB. With her devotion to healthcare advocacy, she hopes to cultivate experiences in policy, health promotion, and health program design, implementation, and evaluation in an effort to better serve the healthcare system in Canada.

In her free time, she enjoys reading books, snowboarding, or spending time with family and friends. She is excited to join and looks forward to the great work that can be achieved with the YCRH!

Jillian Stringer
Co-Director of Research
Hamilton, Ontario

Jill Stringer (She/her) is a PhD Student living in Ontario researching student-athlete mental health. She holds a master’s degree in Public Health with several years of experience working in the public health sector and with national non-profits. As a self-proclaimed life-long learner, Jill is driven to advocate for positive health system change that acknowledges and integrates lived expertise and other diverse forms of knowledge. She is most passionate about multidimensional health promotion through an understanding of programs, processes, and policies at the intersection of psychological, physical, and social well-being. When she’s not working or studying, Jill enjoys baking, jewelry making, weight-lifting, and swimming with friends.

Julia Smith

Director of Events
Ottawa, Ontario

Julia Smith is from Ottawa, Ontario. Her passion, determination and will to make a difference in the world are at the forefront of everything she does. Julia attends Acadia University to earn a Bachelor of Law and Society degree. Julia is the Director of events for the YCRH. She has helped to educate youth through her video series on the online education platform Belouga.org. Her newest series helps to address the ever-growing issue of antisemitism by educating youth about the Holocaust. Julia is also a mental health advocate, mainly focusing on Youth Mental Health post covid. Julia enjoys writing blogs and attending exciting conferences and seminars about current issues affecting youth

Kate Tucker

Director of Events

Antigonish, Nova Scotia

Email LinkedIn

Kate (she/her) is a current Masters of Applied Health Services Research student at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) where she also obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Leadership with a minor in health sciences. Kate has completed numerous internships in corporate, non-profit and clinical settings where she loved working on projects related to health promotion, patient experience, public relations and program evaluation. Her graduate research focuses on primary care reform, patient self-advocacy, patient centered care and health literacy. She is passionate about using intersectional evaluation methods and evidence based research to create positive experiences in health care, improve the patient experience and promote health literacy. Kate loves to be involved in her community and sits on various societies, committees, and conference executives. To relax, she enjoys being active outdoors, trying new food, and being with her friends. She is thrilled to be part of the YCRH!

Myera Ifthikhar

Co-Director of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessiblity

Toronto, ON

Myera (my-ra; she/her) brings years of experience as a youth advisor and in equity, diversity, and inclusion work across workplaces, education, and healthcare areas. Her interests revolve around breaking down systemic barriers for historically excluded communities to provide community/person centred and driven care, lived experience engagement, and resource navigation and provision. Myera is excited to collaborate with the team to strategize, advocate for, and support EDIA initiatives as a co-director with YCRH. Myera enjoys painting, reading, and trying out new food spots outside of work.

Ashley An

Co-Director of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessiblity

Toronto, ON

Ashley (she/her) is a first-generation Korean-Canadian living in Toronto. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Peace, Conflict, and Justice Studies from the University of Toronto and works as a Communications Consultant with School Mental Health Ontario. Shaped by her own experiences with mental health challenges and financial insecurity, she is passionate about making mental health supports more accessible and exploring storytelling through various forms of media as a way of advocacy, connection, and learning. Outside of work, she finds joy in film photography, getting lost in a good book, and going on walks around the city.

Samreen Khurram

Director of Communications

Toronto, ON

Samreen Khurram (she/her) is currently a student in Toronto, Ontario, and her determination to make a difference shines through in every endeavour. She recently contributed to a successful election campaign for her Member of Parliament, showcasing her passion for civic engagement. She is dedicated to advocating for the voices of children and youth, with a focus on education and well-being initiatives. Active in her community, Samreen serves on the city’s Accessibility Advisory Committee, working towards the implementation of recreational equipment for individuals with physical disabilities. Through YCRH social media platforms, she hopes to raise awareness and promote health-related topics. Outside of her advocacy work, Samreen enjoys baking and exploring new places.

Llola Mytkolli

Social Media Coordinator

Ottawa, ON

Liola Mytkolli is a youth advocate and aspiring STEAM leader based in Ottawa, Ontario. She is currently an International Baccalaureate (IB) student, balancing her academic interests in science, engineering, and global issues with a strong commitment to youth health and equity.

She has been involved with the Young Canadians Roundtable on Health since 2024, where she contributes to digital communications, advocacy campaigns, and youth engagement efforts. In 2024, she was part of the digital communications team at One Young World in Montreal, supporting interviews, social media, and knowledge mobilization work.

Motivated by personal experience and a desire to see youth taken seriously in healthcare and policy spaces, she focuses her advocacy on chronic illness, responsible technology use, and mental health. She is especially passionate about creating spaces where young people can lead conversations, influence change, and reimagine systems that impact their everyday lives.

2025 YCRH Members

Leadership Team

Our Programs

Quick Links

Contact US