C+F Future Leaders Program: 2023/24 Cohort
In 2022, we launched a youth program (previously known as the Youth Ambassador Program) aimed at cultivating future leaders!
Over the course of a one-year commitment, C+F Future Leaders receive support to plan and launch their own special project as well as training to give back as an official Cassie + Friends Youth Mentor. Through personal/professional development workshops, advocacy and awareness campaigns, participation in current research studies and more, C+F Future Leaders gain the skills needed to successfully launch their project and make a lasting impact in the childhood rheumatic disease community and beyond!
Are you interested in joining the next Future Leaders Cohort? Be sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media in order to receive information about the next application date!
Meet our 2023/24 Cohort:
Meet Kayla!
Kayla was born and raised in Calgary, AB. She moved to Halifax in 2018 for university and is currently in Toronto working as part of her Masters. In Calgary, Halifax, and Toronto she has always been involved in her community through volunteering, work, and sports.
At Dalhousie University Kayla completed her undergraduate degree in marine biology with a minor in business which she graduated from in 2022. While in her undergrad she worked several jobs, competed nationally on the synchronized swimming team, and volunteered with C+F. She is currently continuing her education at Dalhousie in the Corporate Residency MBA program. Kayla loves to travel, and the MBA program has allowed her to move to Toronto for 8 months and soon to France.
In her free time, she enjoys working out and exploring new restaurants. She finds that working out is a huge help in managing her disease and mental health. From spin classes to walks with friends, staying active makes all the difference.
In 2020 Kayla got involved with Cassie and Friends as a teen arthritis group leader and has participated in several events with C+F. As someone who was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in high school, navigating a new disease in an environment where it is difficult to be different motivated her to advocate for youth mental health. A chronic illness is hard, and the beginning is the hardest as you are thrown an overwhelming amount of tools and information when in reality not everything will work for each individual. There is tons of trial and error especially in the early days of diagnosis which can take a toll on people’s mental health. Going through this has motivated Kayla to be a part of the Future Leader Program this year!
Her work with the Future Leaders Program
Kayla’s project involves running an awareness campaign in the form of local partnerships across Canada. This idea is in the early works, but she envisions it as partnering with local businesses that target families to give out something like a sticker with every purchase and having proceeds go to Cassie +Friends. She strives to create something that gives youth and families the opportunity to inform others about arthritis and challenge people to talk more openly about their disease instead of internalizing or hiding the disease.
She is inspired to create this project because she has experience working in an advertising and marketing roles as part of her co-op program at school. Her previous experience has been with for-profit and not-for-profit organizations on various awareness campaigns and projects. Taking on this awareness project with C + F is a fun way for her to practice her skills and continue working toward her professional goals while also benefiting a cause she values. She is keen to leverage her personal experiences with rheumatic disease and her professional connections to execute this project.
Meet Graeme!
Graeme is a software engineer and self-produced singer-songwriter based in Vancouver, BC. He loves solving challenging problems, especially where music and technology intersect.
Graeme started his musical career in Charlottetown, PEI, performing in numerous musical theater productions, from “Shrek—The Musical” to “Anne of Green Gables—The Musical.” More recently, his work at the University of Waterloo explored how singing can be used in everyday computing. He continues to sing wherever he goes.
Outside of music and tech, Graeme also loves to bake, bike, and relax on the beach. Recently, he has also been active in the West Coast Swing dance community.
Graeme first became involved with the arthritis community through the iPeer2Peer mentorship program in 2018. Meeting so many other people with juvenile arthritis changed his worldview. When he stumbled upon Cassie and Friends online last year, he was thrilled to be part of a larger community.
His work with the Future Leaders Program
Graeme’s project aims to provide a voice for people with rheumatic diseases through music. Through both his mentorship and personal experiences, he’s seen how isolating rheumatic diseases can be. Many people are surprised when they learn kids can have arthritis. Sometimes, it’s exhausting and difficult to relate with people who don’t understand the physical and emotional rollercoaster.
Graeme’s project involves reaching out to people with rheumatic diseases, gathering their stories, and producing new music based on their experiences. He hopes that sharing these stories will help others feel a little less alone.
Meet Emily!
Emily Bessey is a 20-year old university student from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, who was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis at the age of 6. She currently attends St. Thomas University, where she is completing her Bachelors of Arts with a double major in Fine Arts and Women and Gender Studies, and a double minor in Human Rights and Sociology.
Emily has a passion for activism and is an active member of her community. She has previously volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters, the IWK’s Youth Advisory Council, the Arthritis Society of Nova Scotia and Camp Triumph, among other groups. She spends her summers working at Brigadoon Village, a unique overnight camp for youth in Atlantic Canada living with chronic health conditions, including a week for kids with JA!
In her free time, Emily loves to read, hike and listen to music (specifically Taylor Swift). Emily first got involved with Cassie and Friends in January of 2020 through their TAG Program, and has stayed actively involved ever since, partaking in webinars, panels and writing blog posts.
Her work with the Future Leaders Program
Emily’s project will focus on better educating and informing teachers on what rheumatic diseases are, how they can impact students at school, and what they can be doing to better support and provide accommodation to students in their classrooms. Ultimately, she hopes this project will help create a more inclusive environment and foster more positive experiences for youth with rheumatic diseases in schools. She hopes this project will not only help to improve the experiences of youth with rheumatic diseases, but also help students with a range of chronic illnesses, conditions and other challenges. The inspiration for this project came from her own experiences struggling to get accommodation and additional support at school. For many youth living with a chronic illness, the inability to access accommodation is a universal experience, and it does not need to be.
Meet Cynthia!
Cynthia lives in New Jersey and attends Rutgers University, where she studies biochemistry.
Inspired by her story and many others in the rheumatic disease community, she aims to become a pediatric rheumatologist. She grew curious about the medical field after getting diagnosed with JIA in elementary school.
As a young child, she was an avid tennis player when one day, she suddenly started having swelling and had symptoms of JIA. Initially, it was hard to find the root cause of the pain, but eventually, she found herself in the amazing care of her now specialist. The initial diagnosis was a frustrating and confusing period for her and her family, but over the years, it has been a healthy learning process.
In her free time, she enjoys reading, drawing, playing video games with her younger brother, and staying active. Cynthia discovered Cassie and Friends Youth Ambassador Program through social media and saw it as a wonderful opportunity to get involved in the rheumatic disease community and meet others like her.
Her work with the Future Leaders Program
Cynthia wants to encourage the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) community to share their stories of disabilities since it is often stigmatized. Additionally, they are primarily underrepresented communities in the arthritis world. So, she’d like to explore the factors that play into that, such as the dynamics of immigration, healthcare opportunities, etc. She will begin her initial research at her university and hopefully cover her state.
For much of her diagnosis, Cynthia never opened up about her condition, but as she grows older, she’s more open to sharing her story and experiences. She wishes to explore her identity as a member of the APIDA community as well as a chronically ill patient and hopes to elevate the voices of those like her.
