We are pleased to announce the incoming young leaders for the 2025-26 Pathy Foundation Fellowship. 

This 12-month Fellowship provides community-focused experiential learning opportunities for graduating students from across Canada. Applicants submit an initiative proposal to work alongside a community with which they have a meaningful and pre-existing connection. The Pathy Family Foundation supports each Fellow with $50,000 in funding as they spend their year fostering sustainable and positive social change in Canada and around the world.  

These seven incoming Fellows represent McGill University, University of Ottawa, Queen’s University, St. Francis Xavier University, and for the first time, University of Toronto. In July, the Cohort will gather to participate in core training that will prepare them for ten-months of community-based learning and initiative implementation. Fellows will work with community partners to implement a broad diversity of projects, from youth-led farming for sustainable food systems in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, to culturally relevant water education campaigns in San Simón, El Salvador.  

Mai Ababneh (McGill University) 

Embodied Self-literacy: Empowerment via Sex Ed; Montreal, Quebec, Canada 

“As I near the end of my undergraduate studies, I have realized I do not want to rush into grad school right away,” says Mai. “I still want to learn, but through experience, through building something from the ground up. The Pathy Fellowship offers exactly that: the chance to stay a student, just in a different classroom rooted in community, action, and growth. It provides the opportunity to give back to my community, and to co-create something lasting with the very same people who continue to inspire me.” 

Over the course of her Fellowship year, Mai aims to empower young Arab and Muslim adults through culturally sensitive, faith-aligned sex education that fosters self-awareness, dismantles taboos, and reclaims narratives around sex and sexuality. 

 

 

Taleya Argueta (Queen’s University) 

Empowering San Simón’s Water Future; San Simón, Morazán Sur, El Salvador 

“I saw the Pathy Fellowship as a beautiful opportunity to bridge my passion for climate justice & resilience, my journey of reconnecting with my Salvadoran roots, and my dedication to building community, all within a structure that supports self-led action through shared learning and solidarity,” says Taleya.  

Taleya will work alongside her community in San Simón to create a water education campaign that centers that community in learning how to value, restore, and protect vital water sources while rebuilding relationships with the land. 

 

 

 

 

Sam Liptay (McGill University) 

Cultivating sustainability with youth-led farming; Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada 

“I applied to the Pathy Fellowship as I knew it would allow me to keep doing meaningful work in my community while having the resources to learn more about myself and my community in a guided and supportive environment,” Sam shares.  

Sam will work with other youth through the Élèves des champs farm at McGill University’s Macdonald Campus to cultivate a youth-led agricultural space. Through this initiative, he aims to empower young people to create livelihoods and social change in their local community through environmentally and socially oriented food systems.

 

 

Omer Malikyar (University of Toronto) 

Empowering Afghan Youth Refugees Through Mentorship; Toronto, Ontario, Canada 

“As a young teenager impacted by the global refugee crisis and now living in Canada where I have been studying and working to support refugee communities, I have long been driven by a passion to create meaningful change,” says Omer. “I have always wanted to launch an initiative that supports refugees who, like me, have faced immense challenges navigating new systems and building new lives. When I discovered the Pathy Fellowship, it felt like the perfect opportunity to turn that passion into action and be part of a community committed to impact and transformation.” 

Omer will establish a mentorship program for Afghan refugees in the Greater Toronto Area to provide guidance, resources, and support, empowering them to overcome barriers and build fulfilling lives in their new community.  

 

Rhea Raghunauth (University of Toronto) 

By Their Side: IPV Prevention through Education; Brampton, Ontario, Canada 

“When I learned about the Pathy Fellowship, I immediately recognized it as more than just a professional opportunity, it felt like the natural next step in my journey in addressing Intimate Partner Violence in my community,” Rhea shares. “I was drawn to the Fellowship’s focus on community-led change, long-term impact, and personal development. It offers the space, structure, and support to build something meaningful with my community, not just for it.” 

Rhea’s initiative aims to foster community-driven change by educating South Asian and Indo-Caribbean youth in in the Peel region to prevent Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) using culturally tailored programs on gender norms, healthy relationships, and IPV signs. 

 

 

Cheyenne Toms (St. Francis Xavier University) 

Mini University (Mini U) Program; Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada 

“I applied to the Pathy Fellowship because I want to continue creating meaningful change by addressing the barriers that exist between Indigenous communities and universities,” says Cheyenne. 

Through the Mini U Program, Cheyenne will connect Indigenous youth with early, hands-on university experience, fostering academic growth, cultural connection, and mentorship to inspire future higher education pathways.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jenn Wani (University of Ottawa) 

Empowering First-Generation SSY Graduates; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 

“As a South Sudanese Canadian and the first in my family to graduate from university, I’ve come to understand how transformative post-secondary education can be – not only for the individual, but for their entire community,” Jenn shares. “The Pathy Fellowship provides me with the chance to turn my personal experiences into meaningful action, by investing in youth to help build strong leaders and healthy communities. I want to ensure that South Sudanese youth have access to the tools, guidance, and encouragement they need to pursue higher education confidently.” 

During the Fellowship, Jenn aims to empower South Sudanese youth to access higher education, break barriers, and become first-generation graduates.  

 

To learn more about the Fellowship and incoming Cohort, visit pathyfellowship.com or follow Pathy Foundation Fellowship on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.