Newcomer Leadership Group

In March 2021, we launched the first cohort of the Newcomer Leadership Group to help newcomers and refugees to navigate opportunities to be leaders in the community.

The Newcomer Leadership Group is a 6-week leadership training program that supports newcomers in developing their capacity and confidence to engage in the community.

The Newcomer Leadership Group seeks to:

provide support to newcomers who are looking to engage as volunteers and participate in decision-making processes in the Peterborough community, and
expand the capacity for community organisations to include and integrate diverse perspectives in their practice.

The group is facilitated by Jenn Harrington and Lauren Hunter of Arising Collective. Training topics include:

Opportunities for Community Engagement
Telling my Story: Building Confidence in Public Speaking
Introduction to Not-For-Profit Governance
Leadership Competencies
Non-Profit Finance 101 - Board Responsibilities
Chairing a Meeting
Managing Conflict
Panel Discussion: My Road to Engagement

After the formal learning series, group members continue to meet informally and many work on collaborative group projects.

The first cohort developed the "Newcomers In Peterborough" Facebook group - where they serve as moderators of the group to support others in the community.

The second cohort put together food packages for One City Peterborough to support people experiencing homelessness.

The third cohort worked in pairs to research the significance of land acknowledgements and presented them at each meeting.

Do you want to join the next cohort of the Newcomer Leadership Group?

Please email Yvonne Lai: yvonne@nccpeterborough.ca if you are interested in participating!

Meet Some of the Graduates

Abishek Udawat

I am an Indian who has been a resident of Peterborough and Canada since May 2018. I have lived and travelled in various parts of India as well as lived abroad in the United Kingdom, Malaysia, and now in Canada. Because of this, I have been fascinated by stories, especially from elders from different parts of the world. Thus, lately I have been interested in dissecting the process of storytelling and film. I have a Master’s in Biotechnology and over 5 years of work experience. I have also been an Entrepreneur and have very recently registered a video production company with my partner in Peterborough. I have worked many odd jobs (which comes with the package of being an immigrant and reinventing yourself) like a commission only door to door sales job in rainy Manchester, UK, a call centre job, overnight clothing folding job, Manchester United kiosk assistant (nothing comes close to that experience), an Eco resort manager who also built a treehouse and was a part time chef, started a little travel company arranging trips for locals and expats in southern India. In my list of latest immigrant odd/ interesting job endeavours I am going tree planting!

All these diverse and intense experiences have given me problem-solving capabilities that allow me to use that framework while learning new skills. I am pursuing my dream of becoming a Storyteller. I have two stories coming soon on Trent Radio in collaboration with The New Canadians Centre (NCC) Peterborough. I have benefited a lot from NCC and they have taught me the value of community. I am interested in volunteering with organizations which can use my perspective, storytelling and filmmaking skills. You can know more about me on my LinkedIn, but talking to me would definitely be more useful.

Camila Duarte

Camila is an experienced technical project manager, entrepreneur and life/career coach. She has a strong track record of building long-lasting relationships and building strong communities wherever she lives and works. Her work has helped renew countless partnerships, boosted community engagement, and accomplished project goals in all positions held.

She is a committed woman and driven entrepreneur who sees the big picture and can break projects down into manageable and actionable steps.

She came from Colombia to Canada 11 years ago, studied in Montreal, where she built a strong community, found a chosen family and met her fiancée. She later went to Australia in 2019 to work in the start-up and non-profit sectors. Last year, She moved to Peterborough, Ontario, with her fiancé to settle and build a life close to his family from Lindsay, Ontario. She is a Colombian and Canadian who has lived in several countries throughout her life and brings her international experience to her professional craft.

Her experience goes from strategic planning to marketing communications, information technology, coaching, and community development. Last year, she started her business as a Life and Career Coach for women.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Planning and Human Environment and a Post-grad Diploma in Business Administration, and some other certifications.

She loves biking, being outdoors, sharing with family, travelling, reading and learning. Last year she went from Peterborough to Kingston on two wheels in one day to raise funds for ALS.

Casandra Lee

Casandra Lee is an Asian-American multimedia artist and Montessori educator, based in Peterborough, Ontario. She has been an artist for 11 years, and loves about every medium available in the art store. Bright colors are prevalent throughout her work. She is passionate about storytelling and capturing feelings better expressed through art. Her work is inspired by everything from the cosmos to communities to ladybugs.

When Casandra is not creating art, she is cooking her cravings, tending to house plants, or taking long walks with her partner along the Otonabee River.

Email: casandramlee@gmail.com

Hemnath Mouli

My name is Hemnath Mouli (or Hemmy). I am a graduate student from Sir Sandford Fleming College. I moved to Canada because of the open mind and innovation that is happening here with the technologies. When I came to Peterborough, I fell in love with the people and the nature around the city.

I love biking, programming, photography, and learning about rockets. I am currently building my bike with B!KE in downtown Peterborough for a long ride for Summer 2022. I constantly learn and improve myself by developing meaningful applications around me using the latest computer technologies. Peterborough has so much to offer for newcomers. I could not stop taking photos of things I could find here. Taking photos of Sunset/Sunrise at Del Crary Park is my favorite thing to do in summer.

I volunteer at Peterborough Public Health to help with the process of getting people vaccinated. I also volunteer for Enactus Fleming as a WebMaster to help build websites for different projects.

I am down to earth to connect with people to collaborate, learn or teach people my knowledge. My goal is to build a tech start-up somewhere in the near future.

Joon Kim

Joon is the Marketing Manager at the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA). Joon studied Business Administrative – Marketing and Human Resources at Fleming College. After his graduation, Joon has been fortunate to work with a number of organizations including the New Canadians Centre, Fleming College, and the Peterborough DBIA. Joon has also served on a number of committees and boards in the Peterborough community.

Mariam El Chiekh Khalil

I am communications professional with experience from both Denmark and Jordan. I currently work as an Immigration Caseworker & Outreach Assistant for the Hon. MP Maryam Monsef in Peterborough-Kawartha.

I have a bachelor’s degree in ‘International Business Communication & Arabic’ and a master’s degree in the same field, but without Arabic as a side course, from the University of Southern Denmark. In 2019, shortly after graduating, I published my first scientific article “A window into two worlds”. I dream about entering the Canadian research field with relation to my previous studies.

In Denmark I have planned, been responsible for and participated in several fundraising campaigns and events in cooperation with several NGO’s, mainly supporting Palestine, Somalia, and Burma. My main roles were to produce outgoing communication, create and maintain stakeholder relations, manage the team of volunteers, and do administrative work.

When living in Amman, Jordan, I co-founded Canarinha Football Academy, which I managed and administrated from 2015 to 2019. I was also responsible for the academy’s social media platforms, communication with customers, organizational development, event planning and photography. I also worked as an intern for Music House Amman as a communications specialist for four months.

While living and working in Canada I have participated in public debates with published articles in Denmark’s three biggest newspapers. I aspire to do the same in Canada with the hopes of providing public education and participate in the public discussion around the subjects I care the most for.

I am trilingual with full professional proficiency in Danish, English, and Arabic. I have great interests in cross-cultural communication, international relations, research, and organizational development. My heritage is Danish and Lebanese/Palestinian, which has given me great cultural insight in both the Western and Middle Eastern world.

Miguel Hernandez Autorino

My name is Miguel Hernandez Autorino, I’m a Venezuelan artist and designer living in Peterborough, Canada since 2016. As an artist, I do mainly oil paintings, pencil drawings and murals. The reason I do Art is because it represents life to me. It is my passion and my escape to a perfect place. Art has saved me from depression and really dark places. Leaving my country has been the biggest life-changer, as a gay man, living in a racist and discriminatory country was impossible for me to live my true life; being in Canada has allowed me to live the life I always dreamed of. The pieces I create are filled with deep nostalgic messages and experiences that have made me who I am today. Art has allowed me to express my true self and it’s the perfect way to connect with the community.

Since I started creating art, I have been part of numerous projects in the community and art shows. I was part of the juried show “why the @#&! Do you paint? All those lines. The Gladstone’s annual painting show. Active Participant of First Friday Art Crawl. I have created mural paintings for organizations like PRHC, Health Unit Peterborough, The New Canadians Centre, etc. I’m an active member of the Peterborough Art collective and a board member of the Art school of Peterborough.

I’m a sensible man, vulnerable and eager to connect with people in deeper ways, I like going to the essence of what makes us humans. I build relationships from trust, equality and promoting self love and confidence. That, I would say is the unique and more distinct aspect of my personality. My goal is to build a stronger and safer community; we all have a story that is worth hearing about.

Nour Moudarres

A newcomer, a mom of two and a full-time employee. I came to Canada 5 years ago and still learning a lot about this country. I finished my Master’s in Data Analytics at Trent University, and I am currently working as a Data Coordinator in Five Counties. During my 5 years in Canada, I also volunteered as a translator for Arabic speaking newcomers and helped them settle in Peterborough which taught me how hard it is to start a new life with language and cultural barriers. I still have passion for helping newcomers and assisting them settling and beginning a new life. My biggest focus is on finding the first job in Canada which from, my experience, is hardest part in settling in a new place.

Samar Sallam

I am an organized hard-working person who seeks excellence in whatever I do. I am overly excited to start my career and volunteer work in Canada as an enthusiastic immigrant with an open mind. I worked as a computer literacy instructor at NCC Peterborough and enjoyed every second. Now, I’m working as a Settlement Support Worker at NCC Peterborough. I find joy when I help others and enjoy the sense of accomplishment when I see the effect of my work on others. I have 10 years of teaching experience, teaching Physics for middle and high school students in a reputable school in my home country Egypt. I supervised and worked with different people of different ages and enjoyed every workday. I have a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering with communications and electronics as my major.

My passion for teaching started during my university days where I explained some lectures to my friends. My main goal is to finish my Adult Teaching Certificate (which I am currently studying in Fleming College) and achieve job security. My dream is to create my own non-profit organization to help new immigrants (especially economic category immigrants) to fit in their new community and start their careers in Canada.

Uyen Phan

My name is Uyen Phan. I am from Vietnam. I am a Direct Support Professional at DeafBlind Ontario Services and graduated from Sir Sandford Fleming College. Currently, I support individuals who demonstrate a developmental disability and who are deaf, non-verbal or hard-of-hearing in residential or supported independent living settings. I have been learning American Sign Language to enhance my communication with my clients and others from Deaf Culture.

Since I was a high school student, I have been passionate about helping people. In order to pursue this dream, four years ago, I decided to study abroad in Canada and chose Social Service Worker program as my professional career. When I came to Canada, I faced different challenges to adapt myself to a new country.

Thanks to warm hospitality and strong support from friends and the community, I have been able to acquire excellent knowledge along with interpersonal, mentorship, and leadership skills. Therefore, my heartfelt desire is to assist and provide people of various ages from diverse communities with education, counselling, and a solid connection within a multicultural Canadian society.

I have a great interest in social justice as it helps me to deeply understand how to build an inclusive community as well as promote empowerment and development of self when providing support to others. During college time, I participated in numerous volunteer activities within Canadian Cancer Society and Community Care. I was also a committee member for the International Student Orientation at Fleming College to support new international students with community connections in their early transition to Fleming.

After my graduation, I am actively involved with social and developmental services, as well as, education sector in various organizations, namely, Community Counselling and Resource Centre, New Canadians Centre, and Compass Early Learning and Care. In my free time, I enjoy outdoor activities such as camping and walking in the woods. I also like planting, baking and cooking.