Meet The 2011-2012 PEYA Executive Council
Aian Binlayo
Aian is a grade 12 student currently attending Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School in Brampton. As co-founder and co-ordinator of his school's Environmental Club, he has led Notre Dame to becoming a certified Ontario ecoSchool. Aian is also a founding member of the High School Green Club Council, an environmental youth group with representation from several Brampton secondary schools. He is a volunteer journalist for the Toronto Star and has written articles on how students can effect positive change in their own schools. Aian also serves as the northern student trustee for the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and is especially excited to implement new environmental initivatives in the board and even across the province. For Aian, environmental volunteerism is more than just a past-time ? it's a new way of living altogether. Aian actively encourages others to find those causes that truly concern them and discover new ways that they can make a difference in the issues that matter to them most. In his spare time, Aian enjoys drinking tea and contemplating the deep mysteries of the universe. He hopes to pursue a career in law and politics in the future.
Christine Yao
Christine is in the eleventh grade at Gordon Graydon S.S. and is an active member of the Graydon Green Team. With her club, she has participated in bringing about ecoschools to her school, as well as collecting and recycling batteries and used electronics. Christine is passionate when it comes to drawing, archery, and the flute and is currently planning to become either an accountant or a teacher. Christine has joined PEYA in order to expand her knowledge of environmental issues and how to conquer them. In her spare time, Christine enjoys riding buses!
Diana Yoon
Diana is a grade 11 student at Glenforest Secondary School who genuinely wants to help make the Earth more eco-friendly, starting with Peel. Asides from her passion for the environment, she cares about the well-being of people both around the world and in her own community. She tries to bring enjoyment into people's lives, by volunteering with children's programs and running a show choir at her school. As of now, Diana's purpose in life is about the well-being of the Earth and of the people who live on it. Furthermore, since she believes that students make a huge impact on their communities, she hopes to raise awareness to many students about environmental issues through PEYA, thus positively influencing a lot of people to take action against injustice (like meat production!), to recycle more, and to conserve energy as creatively as possible! During her spare time, Diana enjoys singing and hanging out with friends!
Ireena Haque
Ireena is a grade 12 student at John Fraser Secondary School. She has been involved in environmental awareness since grade 9 when she joined her school's environmental club. Since then, she has been an active leader of the club and also an active member of the Peel Environmental Youth Alliance. During her spare time, Ireena enjoys photography, and hope to pursue a career in the field!
Jimmy Chan
Jimmy is a grade 12 student at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School. In school, he is involved in events and campaigns meant to promote the common well-being of his community. Primarily, he is the cofounder of the Notre Dame Environmental Club ? now one of the biggest students led clubs in the school. Last year, his Environmental Club spearheaded events such as the Jean Drive, Electronic Waste Collection and Earth Week. Furthermore, his Environmental Club?s contributions last year allowed Notre Dame to become Eco-Certified by Ontario?s EcoSchool. Jimmy believes that one of the biggest reasons his club was so successful was because it stayed ?formless?. He was always on the move: thinking up new ideas and never making the same mistake twice. On top of all this, Yiu is also president of DECA, a business club at his school, where he intends to further develop his interpersonal and organizational skills to meet the growing demands of the future. Next year, Yiu plans to study at Schulich School of Business, where he will integrate environmental responsibilities with daily business practices. During his spare time, Jimmy enjoys biking and working out!
Lucas Krist
Lucas is a high aspiring, dedicated environmentalist who is currently in Grade 11 at St. Aloysius Gonzaga SS in Mississauga. He started off with a website that demonstrated ways to "Save the Earth," which quickly sprouted into an obsession with everything green. Lucas' motivation has led him to carry the Olympic Torch for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, become president of the school's environmental club, and become a PEYA executive in 2010. Now in his second year with PEYA, he eagerly participates in Mississauga's Environmental Advisory Committee, and the Living Green Master Plan, as well as having spearheaded a transportation project at school. Thanks to Christine, Lucas is also now the proud owner of a Presto Card and a major transit enthusiast. In his spare time, he enjoys R/C airplanes, cycling, and politics. Lucas hopes that through all this, people are challenged to take up their inner tree-hugger and start to make a difference.
Vicki Tran
Vicki is a grade 11 student attending T.L.Kenndy S.S. As a PEYA executive this year, Vicki hope to raise awarness on the importance of being green and eco friendly. For example, she strongly believes that using plastic water bottles creates unecessary waste for the environment. During school, Vicki also participates in many extra curricular activities such as the Eco Club, and all of the school's sports teams! As the founder of the Eco Club last year, she hopes to broaden her skills and knowledge through PEYA, and take back what she learns to her club. Thus far, she has already experience and participated in many more opportunities that she otherwise would have missed. In her spare time, Vicki enjoy helping people, taking outdoor walks, plants and animals, and hugging lots of trees!
