Ava Graci

she/her

Ava is entering her fourth year of the Specialized Honours BSc in Psychology, with the goal of becoming a Registered Psychotherapist supporting youth. Her passion for mental health advocacy, supporting those in vulnerable and difficult positions, and creating spaces where people feel heard and included continues to motivate her to excel academically, seek valuable experiences, and pursue the field.

Over the past two years, serving as a Peer Ambassador and Ambassador Lead in UPSA’s Community Relations Department has been incredibly rewarding and has allowed her to support students while building lasting friendships. Ava is excited to become a Peer Mentor and provide first-year students with the same guidance and encouragement she is grateful to have received.

Bhavna Singh

she/her

She hopes that one day she can go to grad school and become a clinical psychologist. Her favorite thing to do is watch tv and bed rot. Modern family is her go to but Gilmore Girls is her all time favorite. She loves to read and bake and play with her dog!

Chloe Silva

she/her

Chloe is a fourth-year Psychology student in the Specialized Honours Program. She is passionate about deepening her understanding of psychology by contributing to qualitative research studies. In the future, she looks forward to propelling her love for learning and psychology forward through attending graduate school. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, attending yoga classes, baking, and reading. She is excited about the opportunity to give back to her peers as a Peer Mentor this upcoming academic year!

Claire Draper

she/her

Claire is going into her 4th year of the Honours Psychology Program here at York! In her free time, Claire loves dancing, baking, and going for a good hike. She is working towards becoming a Special Education teacher striving to support students with a wide range of learning styles and educational needs. Claire is also looking forward to a great year ahead with UPSA!

Deniz Eslampoor

she/her

Deniz is a third-year Honours BSc Psychology student at York University who hopes to become a clinical psychologist and advocate for youth mental health. She is a returning UPSA volunteer who loves connecting with fellow students and being involved in the psychology community. Outside of academics, Deniz enjoys baking, reading, listening to music, watching movies, and spending time with cats. She is always excited to meet new people, learn from others, and help create a welcoming and supportive environment for everyone.

Emmanuela Nnamdi

she/her

Emmanuela is a third-year Psychology student at York University with a strong passion for community engagement and student support. She enjoys exploring diverse areas of psychology, with particular interest in mental health and how social contexts shape human behaviour. As a Peer Mentor, she is excited to connect with students, share helpful resources, and create a welcoming environment for others in the program. Outside of academics, Emmanuela enjoys reading, creative writing, and trying new coffee spots. She wants to be a lawyer in the future, and looks forward to supporting her peers throughout their academic journey!

Ishita Deep

she/her

Ishita Deep is a third-year Psychology Honours student at York University who is interested in counselling and mental health. She enjoys getting involved on campus through student engagement, peer mentorship, and volunteering, and hopes to continue exploring opportunities that allow her to work with and learn from others. Outside of school and work, Ishita is a huge movie lover, enjoys building LEGO sets, going out with friends, travelling, and trying new restaurants. 

Katelyn Capunitan

she/her

Katelyn is a third-year Honours Psychology student at York University with a passion for health, wellness, and human behaviour. She currently serves as an UPSA Peer Mentor and is the Marketing Director for both the Breaking Stigmas Club and the Women’s Wellness Club, where she promotes student engagement and mental health awareness. As a Dean’s Honour Roll student, Katelyn hopes to pursue a career in clinical or behavioural psychology while continuing to expand her knowledge and leadership experience. Outside of academics, she enjoys spending time with friends, watching sports, listening to music, photography, attending concerts, and reading. 

Nevaeh Hunter 

she/her

Nevaeh is a third-year psychology student who's truly dedicated to following her dream of becoming a clinical psychologist but aside from psychology a career in speech-language pathology or occupational therapy may be in the works! She’s very passionate about helping others and has known since she was a child that this was her calling. In her free time, Nevaeh enjoys reading, listening to music, spending time in nature with her family; preferably somewhere without bugs and playing different games and puzzles while trying never to give up on anything she does! 

Nicole Mungwari

she/her

Nicole is a BSc Specialized Honours Psychology student with aspirations of becoming a clinical psychologist. She is passionate about mental health, mentorship, and supporting others through their academic and personal journeys. Nicole volunteers as a crisis responder, where she provides compassionate support and helps individuals navigate challenging moments. Through her experiences in research, peer mentorship, and student involvement, she is committed to creating welcoming spaces where students feel heard and empowered. Outside of academics, Nicole enjoys photography, fashion, makeup, baking, and creative projects that allow her to express herself.

Samantha Iacobucci

she/her

Samantha is a fourth year psychology student within the specialized honours program. This is her third year being a part of UPSA. She served as a peer ambassador, and this year she will be a peer mentor to make a more meaningful impact on incoming first year students. In her free time she loves to play her favourite sports, hockey and soccer. She has also taken a strong interest in running. She enjoys her volunteer placements at both Big Brothers Big Sisters as an in school mentor, and as a speech and language volunteer for Oak Valley Heath! 

Sofia Galanis

she/her

Sofia is a 4th-year Specialized Honours B.A Psychology student, aiming to pursue graduate school in either Forensic or Social and Personality Psychology. Currently, Sofia is a Research at York (RAY) and Honours Thesis student at SHaRe Lab with Dr. Muise, and is also completing an Individual Research Project (IRP) with Dr. Zannella. Other achievements include being a volunteer research assistant with SHaRe Lab, an upcoming ICPP with Dr. Zannella, working for a municipal government, and volunteering and working with animals. Some of her hobbies include attending concerts with friends, playing with her dogs, and re-watching her favourite TV shows!

Sonia Sharafdin

she/her

Sonia is a 4th year student in the Psychology BSc program, and is striving towards getting into law school. Aside from being a peer mentor, Sonia is also a research manager, director of governance and legal affairs, and a marketing volunteer at a few other organizations. In her free time, she loves online shopping (bad habit, she knows), playing tennis, and drinking iced americanos!

Theipiha Vijayaraj

she/her

Theipiha is a 4th year honours psychology student at York University. She is passionate about mental health and hopes to pursue graduate school education to become a therapist. She hopes to work towards destigmatizing therapy and making it more accessible. Some of her interests include singing, playing the piano and the guitar, reading, and watching her favourite tv shows. Theipiha is currently volunteering as a crisis responder at Kids Help Phone and has also worked as a research assistant with the Department of Education at York University. Furthermore, she has completed an IRP with the Prime Family Lab.