Shirley is a 5th year BSc biology major and psychology minor student with a passion for public health! She is interested in how infectious diseases affect populations in a quantitative, biological, ecological, and social-cultural way. After graduating, Shirley hopes to pursue a Masters of Public Health in epidemiology. Her experiences working as a skating coach, camp counsellor, research assistant, and in customer service have helped her connect with diverse groups of people to bring eagerness and enthusiasm into her work environments. In her free time, she enjoys curling up with a good fantasy book and a cup of tea! 

About Me

• I'm doing ecological field work in the Mojave desert in my photo! 

Gigi is currently in her third year of her specialized honours bachelor of arts in cognitive science with an honours minor in psychology, and hopes to one day become a neuropsychologist. Her hobbies include doing  nails and listening to podcasts. She loves helping new students and discussing new topics she learned in class, and is very enthusiastic! 

About Me

• "Everything you've ever wanted is sitting on the other side of fear".

Yara El Oneis is a 4th-year BSc Hons Psychology student currently completing a concentration in Youth & Development. She aims to enter the Clinical-Developmental stream for postgraduate studies or further her education by attending medical school to become a pediatric psychiatrist. This academic year, her goal is to help 2nd-year psychology students succeed in their core courses, ensuring an easy transition to their upper-year classes. Yara's research interests revolve around intellectual disabilities and neurodivergent disorders. In addition to her role in UPSA, she serves as an Educational Assistant in both elementary and high schools at HCDSB. She is also a Child Life Support Volunteer at SickKids, a Crisis Responder at KHP, and a Homework Help Club Tutor/Coordinator at CCVT. Yara is very excited to be a part of UPSA for the 2024-2025 academic year!

About Me

• Loves cooking and baking

• Moved to Canada at the age of 14 from the United Arab Emirates

• Favourite city in the world has to be Toronto

• Hopes to one day better the treatment of individuals with disabilities and enhance the understanding of mental health in the Middle East

Liliane (or Lily) is starting her third year in the BSc Specialized Honours degree in Psychology and will be pursuing research in the areas of neuropsychology and cognition. She enjoys walking and exploring the city, trying new cuisines, and watching Asian-centered movies. Having had the experience of taking both volunteer and executive positions in UPSA in the past years, she strives to contribute to student success at York to the best of her abilities. 

About Me

• A fun fact about me is that I've taken an interest in Chinese tea ceremonies.

Mahnoosh is a driven individual with ambitious academic and career goals. They plan to complete a Bachelor's Degree, graduate with honors, and pursue a Master's Degree in art therapy. Aspiring to become an art therapist, they also aim to continue growing their online business. As an artist who loves painting landscapes, particularly forests, they won first place for the Gerard Sender Prize at the Samuel J. Zacks Gallery. Passionate about spiritual activities like meditation and an avid reader, their favorite book is "Living Untethered" by Michael Alan Singer. Dedicated to community service, they have volunteered with Calumet and Stong Colleges as a course representative for statistics and as an orientation leader.

About Me

• "The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls." - Pablo Picasso

Zeliha is a 4th year BA Psychology student concurrently completing the York Seneca Rehabilitation Certificate and looks forward to pursuing her placement as a crisis counsellor. She has previously served as a Course Representative and Course Representative Coordinator for Calumet and Stong Colleges. In her spare time, Zeliha enjoys hiking in nature (although, she is deathly afraid of bugs), listening to music, trying/ cooking new foods, and spending time with her friends whom she loves dearly! 

About Me

• "Your fear of looking stupid is holding you back"

Shaun is an incoming third-year student in the specialized honors program in psychology. He is passionate about the neurological approach to behavior and is pursuing a career in neuropsychology. His top academic ambition is to graduate Summa cum Laude. Prior to tutoring with UPSA, he also tutored students in the natural sciences. Shaun loves traveling, swimming at the beach, painting sceneries, playing with animals, and exploring unfamiliar cities. When he feels like taking a break from academics, he also goes out of town to babysit and play with his little cousin.

About Me

• In a span of one week, he taught himself how to read Russian, Korean, and Japanese after a series of dares from his high school friends. 

Helen is a 2nd year B.Sc. Spec.Hons. Neuroscience student. Along with her strong fascination in psychology, she has a passion for teaching and research. Outside of school, she loves music, art and sports. With a positive attitude and lots of patience, she will always be willing to lend a hand. 

About Me

• “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” - Ferris Bueller

Sugirtha is in her final year of studies, double majoring in Psychology and Biology. She is planning on pursuing her Masters in Laboratory Medicine. Her hobbies include reading and painting. She has previously volunteered at long-term care homes in Toronto and recently was a Student Mentee at Shoreham Public School and Wellness Academy. Next year, she'll be working in the microbiology lab as a research student. 

About Me

• If I could watch one TV show for the rest of my life it would have to be FRIENDS. 

Ayrik is a second-year student, motivated with many personal and academic goals. He aims to complete his Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, graduate with Specialized Honours, and pursue a Master's in Clinical Psychology. Having worked in environments such as a children’s camp, as a sports coach, and as a psychological assessment report writer, these experiences have shaped him to thrive as an effective peer leader in the York University community. As a UPSA peer tutor, Ayrik is committed to being knowledgeable and supportive, helping students excel in their courses and achieve their academic goals.

About Me

• "Self-belief does not necessarily ensure success, but self-disbelief assuredly spawns failure." - Albert Bandura

Janvi is a passionate undergraduate psychology student wanting to help people navigate the impact of anxiety, addictions, and relationship complications on cognitive function, with an eye towards achieving restorative justice in domestic violence situations. Her goal is to become a registered Clinical Psychologist in order to help guide others on their mental health journeys, and empower them. Some of her hobbies include baking, painting, reading, and watching Spider-Man and Love Island.   

About Me

• "Take time to do what makes your soul happy".

Sophie Wagner is a second year Bachelor of Arts Psychology student in the honours program who is passionate about using her voice to uplift others and taking on leadership roles. A team captain of various high school clubs such as cheer leading and mock trial team, she continued her work during the 2023-24 school year as a Course Representative for PSYC 1010, a peer note-taker for her Biology of Sex class and more. She is an aspiring psychotherapist and hopes to one day be a psych professor as well. 

About Me

• Sophie is a published author and she loves horror movies!

Preet Thukral is a Peer Tutor at UPSA! Her natural inquisitive personality sparked their interest in psychology. In addition, Preet intends to work in the field of children and adolescent psychotherapy. Her hobbies include trying new food, baking, and reading novels. 

About Me

• Random Fun Fact- She is scared of dogs, heights, and small spaces

Chau (pronounced /Ch-oh/) is a second-year student in the Honours Psychology program, pursuing a Bachelor of Science. She's interested in pursuing either further academic research into cognition (learning and memory) or working in the industry as a User Researcher. She's a member of the PsycCareers' Student Advisory Committee and is working as a Communications & Marketing Assistant for the Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change (EUC). In her free time, Chau loves reading and watching movies, especially psychological thrillers or horrors. She also loves testing out new apps/software and staring at cat videos.

About Me

• Chau loves reading Chinese novels. She's currently learning Mandarin and hopefully will get fluent enough to read novels in a few years!

Jason Soliman is a psychology student in the specialized honours program, currently finishing his second year. He has a strong interest in depth psychology and philosophy of mind. His achievements include an award-winning video on mental health stigma and founding the not-for-profit Unite Canada to help people stay connected during the pandemic. Jason's volunteer work extends to mission trips in Kenya and crisis responding, reflecting his commitment to community support and cultural exchange. Jason aims to teach university-level psychology and become a psychiatrist. In his spare time, he enjoys reading philosophical texts, travelling, and playing futebol.

About Me

• "Know all the theories, master all the techniques, but as you touch a human soul be just another human soul".  — C.G. Jung