Our Story
We have observed that health-related extracurriculars and exposure opportunities in high school are far too scarce. As such, we aim to build an accessible, interdisciplinary knowledge translation hub for high school students — one that is more than just a classroom experience, and has the capacity to inspire the next generation of healthcare workers. Our engaging outreach initiatives are centred around empowering students to broaden their career horizons and develop their passions for medicine, healthcare, and research.
Meet Our Team
Fatima Masood
YouthConnect Team Lead
Fatima Masood is a grade twelve student at North Park Secondary School in Brampton, Ontario. She is passionate about the multiple fields of science and computer science. Some of her other interests include figure skating, business, and raising awareness about eliminating the stigma associated with mental health. Through YouthConnect, she is excited to help empower students to broaden their career horizons and provide accessible opportunities within healthcare and research.
Contact me: fatima.maswood@alumnav.org
Joy Feng
Scientific Project Director
Joy is a first year undergraduate university student studying medical sciences at Western University in London, Ontario. She is planning on pursuing a career in the healthcare field and is passionate about connecting high school students to the healthcare field as she feels there is a lack of accessible premed resources for high school students.
Contact me: joy.feng@alumnav.org
Rashi Bhavsar
Scientific Project Director
Rashi Bhavsar is pursuing triple majors in biotechnology, biochemistry and genetics. She likes to call herself “a lover of science”. She is extremely passionate about research and working for a cause. She enjoys watching sunsets, talking to people about science and having deep conservations about moon, stars, and fundamental life. She loves observing and questioning everything that she can sense; her curiosity about the world is unquenchable. She also enjoys listening to all possible perspectives that an anatomically similar brain can produce from different people. She also began learning violin and martial arts recently. Rashi is very glad to be a part of YouthConnect!
Contact me: rashi.bhavsar@alumnav.org
Caroline Tian
Scientific Project Director
Caroline Tian is a grade twelve student at Handsworth Secondary School in North Vancouver, British Columbia. She has a diverse interest in multiple areas of science. Currently, she is motivated to major in chemical engineering, medicinal chemistry, or biochemistry. She is passionate about encouraging and supporting other high school students to explore their interest in healthcare, where they may pursue careers later on.
Contact me: caroline.tian@alumnav.org
Maya Kabasawa
Scientific Project Director
Maya is a grade eleven student at Bayridge Secondary School in Kingston, Ontario. She is passionate about the fields of neuroscience, pathology, and computer science. She is driven to make a difference in her community using her interests in science and work in the field that passionates her at the same time. She works as a scientific director to inspire high school students in the science field and connect them with more opportunities. She aspires to major in the intersecting fields of medicine and computer science when she goes to the university in the future.
Contact me: maya.kabasawa@alumnav.org
Zani Zartashah
Project Advisor
Zani is in her fourth year of the Honours Life Sciences program at McMaster University. She is passionate about research in adolescent psychology, pediatric and maternal health, and STEM initiatives. As one of the co-founders of YouthConnect, she is committed to providing students with accessible programming and opportunities to help nurture their interest in healthcare. Aside from YouthConnect, her interests include graphic design, event planning, and advocating for equitable access to education.
Contact me: zani.zartashah@alumnav.org
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