SWY Canada 2022 Executive Committee Elections

Candidacies

NEW CANDIDATES

Manon Prevost-Mullane

Treasurer

Manon Prévost-Mullane served as Canadian Delegate SWY 7, National Leader SWY9, Chair 1998 International SWY Alumni Conference, and Canadian Educational Delegate for REN2002. As a co-founding member of SWYAA International during SWY7 and of the Canadian Alumni Association in 1995, Manon has worn many hats, such as key person (president), treasurer, producing a quarterly newsletter sent globally (pre-internet age!), and assisting in the SWY Canada selection process.

Following her SWY7 experience, Manon believed it would help future Canadian delegations and Admin staff to have a SWY-experienced NL and as a test case, she was the first OPY to become NL. In addition, she designed and delivered the 3-day pre-departure training program in Vancouver for Canadian delegates that had not existed prior to SWY 9.

Manon became a dual Canada - US citizen in 2009 and lives in Lake Placid, NY with her husband John. In May 2018, Manon completed her master’s degree in Intercultural Communications. She would be honoured to serve SWYAA Canada in addition to future participants.

Ahmareen Farah

Batch Liaison

My name is Ahmareen Farah and I am a proud alumni of SWY2 (1990). I have been actively involved with SWY since then. I tried to join as many reunions as I could in Pre-COVID period. I held the role of “facilitator” in the last 2021 program of SWY. I hold master’s degrees in Public Policy and Disaster Management. Since I participated in two great youth exchange programs the Canada World Youth (CWY) and Ship for the World Youth (SWY), I gained knowledge, skills and experience. I am a perfect candidate for the executive committee and will bring along my passion to the SWYAA Canada. I am a trained trainer and can provide my services as and when needed. I am flexible to be considered for any role that suits my qualifications.

My Profile: Seasoned professional with more than 20 years of experience in education, energy, health, youth affairs, environment and disaster management sectors. Received outstanding teacher award at the Air University. Worked on policy and program development in the areas of child health, energy efficiency, gender mainstreaming and the environment. Implemented these programs for agencies like Save the Children, USA. My other strength is in mentoring and training. I have been successfully mentoring youth in an international exchange program for Dept of Washington World Learning Program 2020, enhancing Leadership skills of youth through designing, delivering and participating in leadership workshops online.

Ricardo Fernández de Córdoba

Batch Representative

I will be honored to help in the board of directors of the Canadian SWYAA.
My professional career began with a law degree. My first job was as a volunteer for a legal aid foundation. A short time later I entered a diplomatic career. Five years later I left the foreign service and moved to live in a small city on the coast of Ecuador. I decided to expand my education with an MBA. During the MBA I came to McGill University in Montreal for a course. Three years later, together with my family, decided to come to Canada for a better future for our daughters. I am currently working in CIBC bank and my wife is studying at Sheridan College. I participated in the SWY 9 program and I have been the president of the Ecuadorian SWYAA twice.
Thank you so much for considering my name.

RETURNING CANDIDATES

Mike Lafleur

President

Mike was the National Leader onboard SWY 21 and as an Advisor on SWY 23. Currently, Mike serves as the Vice President of SWYAA Canada. He has attended the Global Assembly in Egpyt, Mexico, and Turkey and the SWY 28 Port of Call in Chennai. Professionally, Mike has led several study abroad programs, served as a teacher, and worked in development in various countries including India, the Philippines, Namibia, Tanzania, and Ethiopia.  In his current role, Mike works in international education at a local college focusing on student mobility, intercultural teaching competencies, and partnership development. 

Kevin Kobayashi

Vice-President

I am interested in applying for the vice-president position on SWYAA Canada. As someone who grew up in a Japanese Canadian household, community connections has always been very near and dear to my heart. Growing up with a very close knit group of family friends, I’ve realized how important it is to have a sense of belonging, unity, and global understanding. This is what drives and motivates me to continually connect with SWY friends from all over the world.

Since the conclusion of SWY29, I have been fortunate enough to travel to Ukraine, Spain, Germany, The UK, Costa Rica, and Cyprus, visiting over 30 Ex-PYs from not only SWY 29, but also from multiple batches including: Japan, Ukraine, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, and Russia. 

Creating international relationships and continuing to forge global friendships is in my blood. It’s how I was raised and how I choose to live my life. This is the future of world peace; through cross-cultural understanding and making efforts to stay friends with one another, regardless of the distance that may separate us. I believe that through these efforts, we can keep the SWY spirit alive post-ship.

Sareema Husain

Communications Director

I’d like to apply for the position of Communications Director. SWY was a major gamechanger for me and I’m excited to continuously be involved. 

A little bit about me… I am a recent graduate interested in culture and politics. I attended Concordia University in Montreal. I enjoy using multimedia tools to harness the power of storytelling and tap into its connective ability. When I’m not writing, I can be found brewing tea, watching an adventure movie or going to small-town rock concerts. SWY has led me to amazing friendships, a switch in majors, and dreamlike memories; I want to ensure this opportunity can be given to others through stealthy promotion and and engaging social media posts! 

Parker Mah

Webmaster

Parker Mah was a participant youth on SWY 24 for the Canadian delegation. Versed in multimedia techniques, Parker has lent his skills to community development and rights advocacy organisations from Bangladesh to Senegal to the SWY 24 Press Committee. A fervent supporter of youth exchange and leadership programs, Parker has also participated in Canada World Youth (2006) and lived in Japan for a study year abroad in Nagoya (2004). Originally from British Columbia, he is proficient in English, French and Japanese.

SWY has given a lot to me and I'm hoping to give back in this role as Webmaster, a role which I held (along with interim Communications person) during my last term on the Executive Committee. I'm looking forward to continuing and expanding the technical capacity and resources of SWYAA Canada!