Community youth worker profiles

To Jodi, being a youth worker means that she wakes up every day excited to go to work! Whether Ray-Cam or the West End/Coal Harbour, the beautiful diversity in each community has an identity she is honoured to be welcomed into.

The youth make the job for her with relationships uniquely defining the position. Jodi will go to bat for you, chat with you, laugh with you, and support you – you are in fact, the reason she comes to work.

In high school, Jodi loved drama class because she believes laughing should be a part of everyday learning; humour is a useful tool.  At 15, Jodi was scouted to back-catch in Alberta’s Softball Provincials. She ranked second in the overall scout and her team came in second last! Her brute strength could likely bench press Alex Vasiljevic’s body weight.

As a lover of music, Jodi used to interview bands and write reviews for a magazine; she still sometimes does. If stranded on a desert island with the choice of only one record to bring, Jodi would bring Van Morrison Astral swans! 

jodi.gibson@vancouver.ca 

Laura loves being a youth worker because she gets to enter the lives of young people and learn about their strengths and challenges.

She finds every day of work to be unique, just like the youth she meets!

Laura’s first jobs included refereeing, babysitting, and instructing soccer and bike camps.

A somewhat embarrassing moment is when she mailed Miss Vickie’s asking them why her favourite chips had gone off the shelves in various stores.

If Laura won the lottery, she would open up a café in Tofino and employ youth to run the café and surf camps.

Put a ball at her feet, a pack on her back, a racquet in her hand, or put her in the kitchen, and Laura will be in her element.

laura.weston@vancouver.ca

Suzy loves being a youth worker because every day is like a fresh start with the youth. Suzy went to high school in Richmond. Back then, they had junior and senior high, so she moved around a lot and yes she did attend summer school. So if you want to know about it, ask her.

Her first job was working in a bakery/deli and her wage was $2.75/hr. This turned into an apprenticeship, and she became a baker. Suzy wasn’t happy with the “dough” she was making… so she went back to school and attended the CYCC program at Douglas College, and she hasn’t looked back since.

Suzy found her calling and enjoys working with all of the young bright minds that she encounters during her job as a youth worker.

suzy.parker@vancouver.ca

Gogo loves being a youth worker because every day is different and every new experience brings new ideas and perspectives on youth work.

Gogo’s first job was cashiering at a little league concession stand, making $30 and a can of pop per day.

The biggest challenge Gogo has had to overcome as a youth worker was saying goodbye to all of the youth at one site to make new connections and create new opportunities for youth at another site.

If Gogo won the lottery she would build a state of the art fitness centre and let all youth lift for free.

gogo.lalli@vancouver.ca

tamara.morrison@vancouver.ca 
 

TJ loves being a youth worker because it allows him amazing opportunities everyday to interact, learn, and be inspired from the youth in the community.

One of TJ’s most memorable trips was in 2014 when he went to New Orleans and checked off a life-long bucket list item: attend WrestleMania.

TJ was raised in the Sunset area and graduated from John Oliver Secondary. During his wonderful tenure there, he played football, badminton, and joined the track and field team for discus and shotput.

While an avid fan of rap and hip hop, one of TJ’s hidden talents is rocking the mic for karaoke and pop music.

Don’t let the beard fool you – TJ is well known among his friends to take centre stage on the dancefloor and bust a move once his jams come on.

tj.shukla@vancouver.ca

Matt's favorite part about being a youth worker is getting to mentor and teach youth new skills. Years ago, Matt went to Killarney Secondary School and was always inspired by his youth worker. He strives to be equally inspiring to the youth he works with each day.

One of Matt’s most embarrassing moments was caught on video, when all of his peers surprised him with a birthday song at a staff meeting.

Aside from youth work, Matt is  passionate about music – in his late teens he was the lead singer in the local boy band, Matt About You.

matthew.charan@vancouver.ca

David loves being a youth worker because it is challenging, fun, and rewarding. He was very fortunate to be able to start his youth work career in Strathcona, the same neighbourhood that he grew up in.

He worked at Strathcona Community Centre for 15 years and was able to do outreach at the schools he went to as a youth: Strathcona Elementary, Seymour Elementary, and Britannia Secondary. David found his high school extracurricular activities, including volleyball, basketball, boys service club, referee and score-keeping club, and Students’ Council, to be fun and life-shaping. Because of this, he is a big proponent of youth getting involved with school and community.

The biggest challenge that David learned to overcome was dealing with the passing of youth that he has worked with.

David strives hard to provide and lead youth programs which help youth be healthier, happier, and more effective.

david.ng@vancouver.ca

Riya loves being a youth worker because she gets to help the stewards of tomorrow actualize their potential.

She went to Windermere Secondary School and graduated from Simon Fraser University with a BA in Criminology and Counselling. Riya studied abroad in Melbourne, Australia for a semester which was an exciting and rewarding experience for her. Travelling is something Riya hopes everyone has the opportunity to do.

She plays basketball and is always ready to lace-up for a game. Be warned, she averages twenty points a game and makes it rain 3’s.

Riya is also an open and confident member of the LGBTQIA community, so if you ever need someone to talk to, talk to Riya.

riya.talwar@vancouver.ca

So…rumor has it, that Annty loves being a youth worker because she gets to connect with some pretty awesome youth with a variety of skills and knowledge.

She has had the opportunity to take part in fun activities such as dragon boating, camping, snowboarding, and surfing…she also enjoys the spontaneity of each day because she never knows what to expect! There are days that she organizes events or fundraisers, and other days she gets to deal with sticky situations, but overall she enjoys relationship building and supporting youth in their development.

She is originally from El Salvador and speaks Spanish, but grew up in South East Vancouver and graduated from Killarney Secondary. She is a coffee snob and her heaviest lift is a venti cup! #Annty 

anntuaneth.figueroa@vancouver.ca

Nataly loves being a youth worker because every day is different. She loves how inspired she is from the youth she works with, and how amazing their world views are.

Nat grew up in Vancouver and loved living downtown where she spent lots of time at the community centre and the beach as a youth.

She spent two years living in London, and worked with youth while completing her master’s degree.

When Nat is not at work, you can find her at an ice rink, somewhere outdoors, or (most likely) with her knitting, book, and cats.

nataly.kaufman@vancouver.ca

Alex is in his 17^th year with Ray-Cam Community Centre as a youth worker, with mainly aboriginal and immigrant youth on the Downtown Eastside.

Staff at Ray-Cam follow a relationship-based model of youth work and try to work with the whole family wherever possible.

Alex oversees child protection case management, advocacy, and promotion of social inclusion. He also spearheaded the award-winning NASKARZ Program  (Never Again Steal Karz) in partnership with the Vancouver Police Department and Vancouver Community College.

alex.vasiljevic@vancouver.ca

Starla became a front line youth leader when she was 19 years old. It was during this time she realized her passion for building relationships and helping youth navigate through the ups and downs of life.

She learned about the significance of caring adults, peer relationships, and being involved with her community while advocating for the needs and rights of the youth she was working with.

The important relationships, many laughs, and heart to heart conversations are what inspired her to become a Community Youth Worker.

Her educational background includes a large high-school, alternate school, entry level trades training for automotive mechanics, and a degree in Child and Youth Care Counseling.

When asked what she would do if she had a million dollars, her response was to keep working.

Starla’s enjoyment in her career is watching the resilience and inspiration that the kids in the community have and supporting her wonderful staff.

Her first job was at Work Wear World where she was paid $3.50 per hour.

starla.bayley@vancouver.ca

Sally feels very lucky to go to work every day and be inspired by some of the most amazing youth in the city! Youth worker by title, adventurer at heart, Sally knows a thing or two about travelling and living abroad – she calls it “experiential learning”.

From climbing mountain ranges to getting lost in ancient towns, you name it, she’s probably been there. “Travelling is the only thing you buy that will make you richer,” she says.

If she had a million dollars, she would start a non-profit and take as many youths as possible with her to go explore the world. Who knows, it might inspire them to make a difference too.

Aside from being a globetrotter, Sally knew she wanted to be a youth worker when she started hanging out at Killarney Community Centre as a youth. After spending a lot of time volunteering and helping out in the community (which was surprisingly fun), she got her very first job there and the rest is history. 

Looking back, spending time at the community centre taught her to work hard, be compassionate, and be genuine. If she didn’t go out of her comfort zone and try something new at Killarney, she wouldn’t be here today helping other youth chase their dreams.

sally.chan@vancouver.ca

Gabe is a client-centred, strength-based, and solution-focused youth worker. His coworkers say he helps youth to reach their potential through patience and positivity.

Gabe comes from a large multicultural family in East Vancouver that includes black, white, Asian, south Asian, and Indigenous members. But as a white, cisgender male, he acknowledges that he walks with privilege.

He is just as comfortable in a loud, crowded youth room or gym as he is in his quiet office at Sunset Community Centre. There’s not much that he hasn’t seen or heard before, so he is always happy to talk and listen, usually with a cup of tea.

Outside of work, Gabe is an active supporter of the co-op movement and a proud member of the Co-op Housing Federation of British Columbia, Vancity, Community Savings, The Tool Library, Modo, and Mountain Equipment Co-op.

gabe.dennis@vancouver.ca

Rosa has been a community youth worker for 13 years. She has lots of experience that she brings to the table.

A few of her favourite moments are camping at Camp Sasamat and being thrown in the lake by chanting youth, playing indoor soccer, and dancing to Latin music with new immigrant youth.

Find her at Mount Pleasant and challenge her to a game of pool!

rosa.aravena@vancouver.ca

priya.brar@vancouver.ca
 

Bernie loves being a community youth worker, as he firmly believes that youth should and deserve a chance to get involved in their communities. He also believes that when youth are making a difference in their communities, they need to be getting the praise and recognition that they deserve.

In his role as a youth worker, he gets the opportunity to advocate in the community for youth as well as help them gain the chances to be able to make a difference.

The most exciting place he has been is Disneyland – it’s the happiest place on Earth. His first job was at McDonald’s where he learned teamwork, leadership, communication, and customer service skills. Best of all, he earned money while he learned! His hobbies include playing all types of sports but soccer is his favourite.

bernie.dionne@vancouver.ca

francis.colcol@vancouver.ca