Edward's experiences in volunteerism began in 2001 with Child and Youth Friendly Calgary. Through them Edward attended Community Foundations of Canada National Conferences in Kelowna and Quebec City to network and to learn about what other volunteers are doing across Canada. As a board member for the Calgary Youth Foundation, he was involved in granting $10,000 to youth initiatives and youth-driven projects to help encourage and advance youth leadership in the province. Besides being involved with Alberta's YouthVOLUNTEER! Society for the past five years, Edward is actively engaged in supporting local charities and events including the Ronald McDonald House of Southern Alberta Golf Charity Classic and the Terry Fox Run. Currently, Edward is assisting the recruitment of 400 international delegates for the 2009 Student World Energy Congress. In his spare time, he loves playing sports, always playing hockey, basketball, volleyball and badminton. Awards that Edward has earned for his community engagement include the 2006 Premier's Citizenship Award, the 2006 Millennium Excellence Award, and the 2004 International Youth Optimist Award. Edward is looking forward to continuing to work on this initiative to promote and support youth volunteerism in Alberta, hoping to open doors for other youth and to give them a new perspective on life. He is currently pursuing his studies in Commerce and Kinesiology at the University of Calgary

Malika Ladha’s volunteering career began at the age of three with the Ismaili Volunteer Corps. Since then, she has been involved with a wide variety of organizations. Malika has contributed over 2, 800 hours of voluntary service with many organizations such as the Jasper Place Leadership Team, Rotary Interact, Ismaili Youth Association, World Partnership Walk and the City of Edmonton Youth Council. Malika has organized numerous projects and campaigns which have supported the Aga Khan Foundation, the Terry Fox Foundation, the United Way, and the Jane Goodall Institute, to name a few. Malika was one of the two youth recipients of the Alberta Volunteer Stars Award for 2007 and received the Canadian Millennium Scholarship. Through Alberta’s Youth VOLUNTEER! Society, Malika hopes to motivate other youth to become more involved in their communities. She is currently attending the Faculty of Science at the University of Alberta. In her spare time, Malika loves to watch Edmonton Oilers hockey and yes, she sincerely believes the Cup will one day to return to the City of Champs!

Sheldon is a graduate of Old Scona Academic High School. He has been a volunteer with the YMCA for the past five years. Within the organization, he has taken on several roles including a member’s services assistant and a YMCA Strong Kids Campaigner. With other campaigners, more than 11 000 donors contributed $454 000, to help more than 12 000 people in Edmonton. The YMCA Strong Kids Campaign gives children the opportunity to participate in YMCA programs such as swimming lessons, tutoring and childcare, even if their parents cannot afford it. In his current volunteer duties, Sheldon is an assistant instructor of the Saturday Morning Mania program. In this program, Sheldon is very involved with the healthy living and social development of program participants. As a result of his dedication to the service initiatives of YMCA, Sheldon was asked to speak to the guests at the Don Wheaton Family YMCA inaugural ceremonies. Besides his volunteer activities with the YMCA, Sheldon was the vice president of his student council, manager of the school’s Reach for the Top team, avid public speaker and gallery guide interpreter at the TELUS World of Science. In the 2008 provincial speech championships, he was ranked fifth. In his spare time, he enjoys running, badminton, chess and travelling. He will be attending the University of Alberta and will pursue his career aspirations in the field of pharmacy. Sheldon looks forward to contributing his talents and making the Alberta Youth Volunteer society a success.

My name is Jennifer Lo, and I am currently a 4th year Honours Pharmacology student at the University of Alberta. I am originally from Hong Kong, but I have been in Edmonton for more than 10 years, so I’m fluent in both Cantonese and English. Unlike many others involved in this exciting volunteer group, I have very little volunteer experience because I started to volunteer in grade 11. The little bit of past volunteering included helping out with camps at the Telus World of Science, playing games with elders at the Edmonton General Continuing Care Center and the local old folks residence, and teaching Cantonese with the Student Volunteer Campus Community of U of A. I regret having started volunteering so late in my life, and that’s why I am here on the Board of Directors to help persuade more youths to get into volunteering early, to tell others that volunteering can be both rewarding and fun! Aside from volunteering with the Youth Volunteer Society this year, I will be working hard towards applying to Medical Schools across Canada to pursue my goal of becoming either a cardiologist or a pediatrician.

Stephanie was bit by the volunteering bug one summer and has never looked back since. She started with Child and Youth Friendly Calgary and went on to organizations such as Alberta Health Services, the Canadian Red Cross, The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada, the Calgary Inter-faith Food Bank, Alberta Ballet, local libraries, and children summer day camps. Her volunteering adventures led her to leadership positions such as a steering committee member of the Youth of Distinction Awards, and the student leader who initiated a Youth Volunteer Corps Volunteer Club in her high school which is still operational to this day. Volunteerism is such an integral component of Stephanie’s life that she is even employed as a Volunteer Coordinator at the Peter Lougheed Centre and takes care of all the wonderful volunteers within the hospital. Additionally, Stephanie is actively volunteering in the Emergency department at the Peter Lougheed Centre, the Radiation Therapy department at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, the Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre, and as an University of Calgary Orientation Leader. In recognition of her community involvement, Stephanie has been awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Citizenship Medal, the Premier’s Citizenship Award, and the Millennium Excellence Award. She is currently studying Medicine at the University of Calgary. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, squash, swimming, photography, and of course, volunteering! She is very excited to be a part of Alberta’s YouthVOLUNTEER! Society and looks forward to sharing more volunteering adventures with youth across Alberta!

My name is Casey Cleary. I am sixteen years old and will start grade 11 this fall at Strathcona Composite High School. I am an avid bowler with nine years in a Youth League. I represented Alberta and placed 11th at the bowling nationals held in Sudbury, Ontario for Junior Boys Singles. I have received numerous bowling awards, but the ones I take the most pride in my Academic ones. I have received honours from grade 7 to present and hope to continue it until my completion of school so that I can receive a Rutherford Scholarship. I am involved with Junior Achievement, a student-oriented business program, so that I can gain experience in running a business, as this is my goal. I plan to own my own restaurant some day. I am actively involved with volunteering. I have helped elderly people with meals and transportation at the Good Samaritan Society, cleaned the grounds at the Folk Festival, and have recently just finished volunteering at the Rexall Edmonton Indy. I love to volunteer because it is a great way to help the city, its communities, and people. The perks are always an incentive and you gain new experiences and knowledge along the way. I figure, why not use my voice and skill set to influence other young people like me to positively contribute to society, knowing that it is a great way to meet new people and it can be a lot of fun too! Alberta's Youth VOLUNTEER! Society is a way to do that and that is why I am honoured to be a part of it.

Kate began volunteering in 2004 as a member of the St. Albert Youth Council. This opportunity provided her with experience in youth-led event planning, including the Youth Explosion sports tournament and the first ever St. Albert Youth Forum. Also, Kate was able to provide a youth’s perspective on critical issues facing her community, which significantly involved raising awareness about drug abuse amongst local families. A highlight of Kate’s volunteer experience saw her involved with the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program, in which she mentored two elementary school girls. In 2007, Kate became a Director for Alberta’s YouthVOLUNTEER! Society, which saw her helping to plan Vitalize 2008 and contributing to the organization’s strategic planning regarding volunteer recruitment. Kate also worked in collaboration with TakingITGlobal to present a session on the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals at the Global Voices Conference in 2008, which was opened by L.Gen Roméo Dallaire. After taking a one year hiatus, Kate is excited to once again be a part of Alberta’s YouthVOLUNTEER! Society and is greatly anticipating working as a team to expand Alberta’s already exemplary base of youth volunteers. Kate is currently obtaining her Bachelor of Arts in Criminology degree, and will likely pursue a career in youth advocacy or family law.  In her free time, she loves to travel, shop, and see her friends.