2010-2011 Exec

Our overseeing body of organization, the executives for 2010-2011 are:
President: Puneeta Sandhu
Volunteer Coordinator: Jen Hoffert
VP External: Eric Howg, and
Treasurer: Harleena Braich

2009-2010 Exec

Co-president: Lindsey Hornland
Co-president: Brock Paterson
VP External: Puneeta Sandhu, and
VP Finance: Kyle Small

Members of the 2009 Project

Dedicated in making it across the Pacific during summer of 2009 in providing aid:

Joel Elford

Joel Elford is a recent Bachelor of Commerce graduate from the University Of Alberta School Of Business with a specialization in Finance and Strategic Management and Operations. While studying abroad in New Zealand in 2007, he shifted his interests towards consulting for Non Profit Organizations and finding meaning above profit within organizations. Joel Elford has also worked with over twenty-five student organizations, putting on over eighty events in 2008 through his role as the Kokanee on Campus Sales representative. After volunteering in August 2008 at Streetlight, Joel was motivated along with four others in the mission to establish Streetlight Canada (SLCA). Most recently Joel has finished a four month internship in the Philippines undertaken with the financial support of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). During the internship, Joel took on the role as an external consultant focusing on governance and sustainability. He has been invited to become a full functionary member of the International Board of Directors of Streetlight.

Meaghan Nelson

Meaghan is an undergraduate student majoring in Accounting at the University of Alberta, School of Business. Meaghan got involved with Streetlight Canada in the Fall of 2008 and was one of the volunteers abroad for August 2009. Her favourite part of the trip was meeting all of the amazing, talented, and fun loving kids at the Streetlight Philippines center. As well, she really enjoyed getting to paint the boys rooms at the new shelter. Meaghan hopes to return to Streetlight Philippines as soon as possible as she says it was the most amazing, educational, humbling and fun-filled experience of her life.

Jessica Gagne

Charity Yoro

A recent graduate from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a BBA in Marketing/International Business and English, Charity says her greatest talent is attracting positive people to her life, which is how she believes she came to join the Streetlight team. Her experience in Tacloban led Charity to pursue a lesser taken career path in education; she now looks forward to teaching English in Korea for a year. In her spare time, Charity enjoys poeting, photo-ing, flying, and writing (usually about herself, and of course in third person). She looks forward to gaining her Canadian citizenship in the near future.

Jayson De Vera

Jayson de Vera is a recent Bachelor of Arts graduate from the University of Alberta with a major in Economics and Political Science, with years of experience aiding the Campus food Bank, feeding underprivileged students and raising awareness of issues of food insecurity. In Spring of 2009, he used these skills in fundraising for SLCA. Born in the Philippines himself, Jayson is inspired by a culture of Filipinos who, despite their misfortunes, continue to have a 'cup half-full' approach to life. Even though some of the children at Streetlight have faced much more hardships in their childhood than many people would have in their entire lives, they still find a way to wake up every morning with a smile on their faces. Jayson will never forget his time with the children, and is now pursuing further education in law school to make a profound contribution to both Canadian and Filipino societies.

Megan MacPherson

Megan MacPherson currently is a Rehab assistant in St. Albert. She graduated with a diploma in Disability Studies from Grant MacEwan in 2007. Previous to her fantastic trip to the Philippines she was traveling though Southeast Asia where she heard about the trip to the Streetlight Philippines. She realized that this trip would postpone her having to grow up and get a job. She jumped on board.

Kaitie Worobec

Kaitie is currently studying abroad in Tokyo as the final year of her Bachelor of Commerce in East Asian Studies. Over her time at the University of Alberta, she has been an active member of many student groups, including the Campus Food Bank, Students for Literacy, and the Lister Hall Students' Association. Most recently, she was involved with AIESEC Edmonton as VP External Relations and placed 2nd in Canada as a member of the School of Business Excalibur case competition team. Also active in the community, she completed a non-profit board internship with Change for Children through the U of A's Community Service Learning program. Kaitie loves to travel and is grateful that her experience with Streetlight Canada opened her eyes to the developing world and some of the kindest people she has ever met.

and Anna Beatch

Anna recently graduated from the U of A, having completed a bilingual bachelor of commerce degree with a business economics and law major. While attending the U of A, she was really involved in student life, being a team leader for AIESEC Edmonton, an associate marketing for the Business Exchange Association and VP Liaison for the Club de commerce bilingue, among others. One of her university highlights includes studying abroad in Austria and subsequently backpacking Europe. This experience gave her the travel bug and led her to participate in the SoB's International Study Tour to China. Once the course ended, she wasn't ready to go home, so she figured she'd stop in the Philippines and volunteer with Streetlight for a while. She fell in love with Tacloban (and their delicious mango shakes) and Streetlight, but most importantly the Streetlight kids and their smiles. It was by far the most rewarding experience in her life and she hopes to return sooner rather than later.

Additionally providing great assistance to Streetlight Canada without stepping foot in Tacloban in 2009, we have several more members:

Lindsey Hornland

Brock Paterson

Pursuing his last year in the afterdegree program in nursing at the University of Alberta, Brock has had a great student life in Edmonton but is also excited to start earning a respectable wage in the near future. Having been involved in Streetlight Canada since 2007, he has taken great pride in watching the organization grow in capacity, and has strong trust in the hands that will continue to shape the group in the coming years. He looks forward to return to Tacloban next year, having spent the interim since his 2008 trip traveling to both Canadian coasts. Aside from hobbies such as ultimate frisbee, less leisure reading than he'd like, and a recent interest in community health policy, Brock is involved in various Edmonton citizenship and social justice groups. He also has a dog named Lily.

and Kieran Ryan

with special thanks to Angella Yamamoto, Erin Yamamoto, Adam Keough, and Benjamin Packianayagam for all of their help!

Members of the 2008 Project

Though we've had assistance from many more, there is a core group of Streetlight members that were dedicated in making it across the Pacific during summer 2008 in providing aid. They are:

Kieran Ryan

Kieran is excited to be heading back to Streetlight with such an incredible group! A huge fan of going international, Kieran has lived and worked in France ('05-06), China ('07), and most recently, the Philippines with Streetlight ('07). Kieran co-founded the Business Exchange Association ('06) and the BEA Travel Award Program at the Alberta School of Business ('07).

Beyond all this fun and games, Kieran loves traveling, cooking, and eating fabulous food and he wishes there was more time in life to bake bread and ski snowy peaks. Having just finished his U of A BComm in Business Law and Economics, Kieran plans to start a career in international business or business development when he returns from his travels.

Brock Paterson

Marney Beliveau

Marney Beliveau is a fourth year accounting major at the University of Alberta. She has recently become a very involved student with the school of Business, being on the Business Students Association this past year as the Energize Conference Co-Chair. Marney enjoyed it so much that she is the incoming Conference Director for the BSA, and is on the planning committee for JDC 2009.

Marney is currently spending the semester studying at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand. This summer she plans on volunteering with the International Humanity Foundation in Medan, Indonesia before heading to the Philippines for Streetlight.

Elyce Burek

Elyce is a fourth year business student at the University of Alberta. She is majoring in Marketing, with a minor in International Business. Elyce really enjoys travelling, having first been on a high school exchange to France, and is looking forward to going to Northern Ireland for another one this year.

Elyce is also involved in the Business Exchange Association, a group that works to facilitate exchanges for Canadian students as well as integrate incoming students from around the world. She is also the incoming Associate Professional Relations/Internal for the University of Alberta Marketing Association. In addition, she volunteers for several events on campus, including Beer Gardens 2008.

When she's not doing any of the above, Elyce likes to go snowboarding in the mountains with friends and sing songs really loudly in her car.

Lindsey Hornland

Lindsey recently completed her second year at the University of Alberta, being her first year in the Alberta School of Business. Her major is in Business Economics and Law with a minor in Human Resources.

Lindsey is involved in many different activities in the School of Business. She is currently a member of the 2009 JDC West Organizing Committee, and was the finance co-chair for the University of Alberta Beer Gardens this past semester. Looking forward to Streetlight, Lindsey is enjoying helping plan the trip.

With a bit of travel history- she has been to Russia, Mexico and Thailand, to name a few- she is excited to add the Philippines to the list. Lindsey is also planning to go to Australia in 2009 for an exchange in Melbourne.

Kurtis Hayne

Kurtis completed a BSc in 2007 as a Biology major, though he admits he used his degree as an excuse to try as many different courses as possible. He has finally found his calling in marine science after dabbling in Paleontology, Chemistry, Environmental Studies and Medicine. He is hoping to start what will probably be a doctorate in Marine Science this upcoming September.

Although Kurtis has done some traveling, this will definitely be his most ambitious trip, having only been outside of North America once. He is most looking forward to passing some of his nerdy biology knowledge onto some of the kids at Streetlight; to put this in perspective, his favourite organism of the moment is the by-the-wind-sailor, Velella velella.

Joel Elford

Joel is currently a four-year Finance major at the University of Alberta, and always enjoys getting involved whenever there is an opportunity to help. Last year Joel co-chaired the Energize Career Conference and organized the first annual Business Students Ski trip. Currently, he sits on the Business Students Association Counsel as the Director of External Relations.

Joel has always had a passion for working with children. He spent four years counselling and managing a youth camp. Joel is still in contact with the camp and supports the Board of Directors whenever possible.

At the moment Joel is currently on an exchange at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. He will be spending the initial summer months discovering and exploring South Eastern Asia.

Additionally providing great assistance to Streetlight Canada without stepping foot in Tacloban, we have several more members:

Jennifer Minchau

Angelo Talamayan

Angelo is getting excited to go back to the Philippines this summer; he grew up in the Philippines and experienced first-hand how poverty stricken the country is. He only moved to Canada about 3 years ago, by himself, when he was 17 years old.

Angelo has been very involved with school. He was the acting VP Events of the Business Students’ Association this year, as well as the Project Manager of the University of Alberta Beer Gardens '08, considered to be the biggest event of the university year and attended by around five thousand people. Next year, Angelo will take the role of VP Public Relations of the Rocky Mountain Business Seminar, which is the most prestigious and oldest student-run business conference in Canada.

Angelo is pursuing his Bachelor of Commerce degree majoring in Accounting. Aside from Streetlight, he is also looking forward on studying in Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration next year as an exchange student. After graduating from university, Angelo wants to implement his business plan and become a full-pledged entrepreneur.

and Sean Collins

with special thanks to Kate Bunting and Katrina Panis for all of their help!

Interested in assisting? Take a look at our How to Help page.

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