- About the Health Education Office
- Peer Health Educator Bios
- Peer Health Education August Training
- Contact Us
About the Health Education Office
- Health Educator and Peer Health Education Coordinator – Leah State
A professional health educator is available to students for individual information on health related needs. Students may want to discuss sexual health questions, alcohol use issues or concerns, smoking cessation needs, birth control needs, date and acquaintance rape, or any health topic. The health educator can help answer questions or find appropriate resources to get students closer to answers. All services are entirely confidential.
The Peer Health Education Coordinator develops, recruits, educates, and supervises, the peer health education team. They provide thorough training, supervision, and scheduling of the peer health educators in an effort to promote health education to the York community. They ensure the provision of educational programs, displays, and events on relevant health related issues across the campus.
- One Peer Health Education Coordinator – Leah State
The Peer Health Education Coordinator develops, recruits, educates, and supervises, the peer health education team. They provide thorough training, supervision, and scheduling of the peer health educators in an effort to promote health education to the York community. They ensure the provision of educational programs, displays, and events on relevant health related issues across the campus.
- Peer Health Educators – Check out our bios!
A team of student health educators plan programs on and around campus focusing on health topics relevant to university students. Student Health Educators will be hosting events to raise awareness about health issues, health solutions, and resources and organizations where students can seek out support. In addition, Peer Health Educators will be available to Resident Life Coordinators who plan events for students living on campus. - Office hours 8:30 – 4:30
The Centre for Student Community & Leadership Development – where you find the Coordinator, Health Education and Promotion, will be open from Monday – Friday from 8:30am – 4:30pm.
- Appointments with your Health Educator — can be booked by phone or e-mail. All visits, calls and e-mails are free and are entirely confidential.
Phone: 416-736-5196
Fax: 416-736-5461
Peer Health Educator Bios
Aalya | Abid | Ahmad | Alana | Amber | Amy | Andrea | Andrew | Angela | Ashleigh | Athra | Christina | Concetta | Constantin | Dana | Dani K | Dani R | David | Delisile | Edith | Elaina | Floyd | Hajia | Hassena | Janice | Jannike | Jasraj | Javeria | Jen | Joseph | Joy | Justin | Jyotika | Katie | Krisel | Lisa | Lyna | Maitreya | Margaret | Mariam | Matt G | Matt S | Melisa | Michele | Michelle | Naveen | Nevena | Nicole | Nikita | Patrice | | Rachael | | Rachèl | | Richmond | | Shazia | | Sneha | | Syed
Aalya is a fourth-year Concurrent Education student, majoring in Psychology with a minor in Religious Studies. As an avid foodie and smoothie drinker, she is constantly looking for new ways to improve her lifestyle and her health. The saying goes: "you are what you eat." Keeping this in mind, she hopes to exchange recipes and teach/learn about good eating habits while on the Nutrition team. Aalya enjoys reading anything and everything, making puns, giving (and getting) hugs, sharing music, writing letters, singing (rarely on key), and dancing in the rain (Yes she was a Bollywood actress in a previous life). YAY HEALTH ED!
Abid is a fourth year Psychology major. He enjoys meeting and communicating with new people, and highly values the promotion of healthy behaviours as part of a well-rounded lifestyle. Abid has an active and somewhat distractive interest in music, sports, literature, video games, and film. It is his first year as part of the Mental Health & Stress Team for Health Ed.
Ahmad is in his fourth year studying Kinesiology. This is his first year volunteering with Peer Health Education and he is excited about the opportunity to reach out and make a difference in the York community. In his spare time he enjoys playing hockey, rugby, and hanging out with friends. He loves to volunteer and help anyone who needs it. He is also a Student Health Ambassador at York and is planning to write his MCAT this summer in preparation for a career in medicine.
Alana is in her third year majoring Law and Society and minoring Philosophy. After completing her undergrad she hopes to take the LSAT, pass with flying colours and head off to Law School. In her free time she enjoys playing with her dogs & hanging out with her family and friends. This is her first year on the stress management and mental health team! She hopes to bring her experiences as a student to help others. So if you ever see her around, don’t hesitate to say ‘hi!’
Amber is in her second year at Glendon College where she is working towards an undergraduate honours degree in English. In her spare time, she is usually reading, working out (or just working), with her friends, promoting healthy eating, or glued to her BlackBerry Curve, which is always with her. This is her first year with the Health Education and Promotion team and she looks forward to acquiring additional health-related information and sharing that knowledge with others.
Amy is in her final year at York, completing her Psychology degree. This is her first year being a part of Health Ed, and she is very excited to be a member of the Nutrition Team. She looks forward to sharing her experiences, as well as interacting with and informing students about healthy eating options on campus and elsewhere. When not studying, she can be found enjoying time with friends, watching movies, painting, drawing, and experimenting with vegetarian cuisine. Amy hopes to one day have a career in Naturopathic Medicine.
Andrea is a Women/Sexuality Studies major going into her fourth year. She is a very active member of yorku, involved in USSA (Undergraduate Sexuality Students Association), GWTC (Glendon Women and Trans Center) and other advocacy affiliated organizations. She keeps an energetic and healthy lifestyle by eating a lot of veggies, snowboarding, longboarding and playing hackie sack. She is a queer woman that strives to abolish the boundaries of gender in refusing any fixed or final identity; always learning and always growing.
Andrew is a Kinesiology graduate who has a passion for the Health Sciences. After completing his degree at York, Andrew aspires to become either a physician or a physiotherapist. In his spare time, he enjoys playing basketball and soccer, and also has a passion for traveling. This is his second year with the Health Education and Promotion team, and he is very excited to be on the Leave the Pack Behind Team.
Angela is going into her final year of study at York. After completing her degree she hopes to become a high school teacher. In her spare time she likes to read, shop, work out and spend time with her family and friends. This is her second year on the team and is looking forward to promoting healthy active living on campus.
Ashleigh is a third-year Environmental Studies major. This is her second year with Health Education; she is looking forward to working as the Team Lead for Leave The Pack Behind. As an international student from the Bahamas, Ashleigh enjoys cooking, listening to music, exercising, and has an obsession with all things Apple or Mac-related. She has been a vegetarian for 7 years, and it all started because of a bet! She’s ready for another great year on Health Ed and can’t wait to help people quit smoking.
Athra is a third year Law and Society student. She is also a graduate of Sheridan College. She studied Journalism in the Middle East and is a writer and thinker. She writes poems in an Arabic newspaper called “Al- Watan.” She loves to make new friends and help others. Her main goal is to grow at York and make York grow. She hopes to enjoy her journey at this great community.
Christina is sad to say, she’s in her final year of Kinesiology and Health Sciences. She’ll be a part of the Alcohol Awareness team and she’s super excited to get the chance to participate in the drive towards safe drinking habits, learning from the team and others, and the chance to meet new people! If you don’t find her at York you’ll probably find her reading on a park bench (she’s a book worm at heart), swimming or baking…at least attempting to bake. Her favorite shows of all time (please don’t laugh) are the Magic school bus and Arthur and she still watches them on a regular basis!
Concetta is entering her second year at York, studying Kinesiology. In her spare time she loves being with her family and friends, doing any sort of outdoor sport (skiing being her number one favourite!), or kicking back and reading a good book. She is really glad to be a member of peer SHOP because it’s so important to provide students with a safe zone to talk about sexual health or whatever else it is they need. She is very approachable and loves meeting new people, being entrusted, and helping others out. Peer SHOP is a perfect opportunity for that.
Constantin is starting his final year this September finishing up his psychology degree. He enjoys maintaining a healthy lifestyle, practicing his drums, and thinks dubstep is the greatest thing on earth. This is his first year with Health Ed, specifically the Leave the Pack Behind team, and he is very excited to be a part of it!
Dana is a third year English major; she aspires to become a high school teacher. This is her first year on the Sexual Health team and she is excited to become involved with Health Education at York. She enjoys creating relationships with people and fighting for a cause. She wants to change the negative views that students regard with sexual health by exposing information that can make everyone more comfortable about their sexuality. She also wants to promote the healthy aspects of relationships, exploring curiosities, and safe sex so that everyone can get down on Friday!
Dani is a second-year environmental studies student. She is looking forward to a great year with the Mental Health and Stress team. She enjoys baking, dancing, drawing, painting, hanging out with her dog, JoJo and reading Superman comics. She strongly believes listening to music can put you in a great mood and help you relax. Dani is obsessed with Superman and is super excited about ‘saving York students from stress!’
Dani is a third-year International Studies major and the Health Ed-in-Res representative at Glendon. She is passionate about providing information on the vast number of services available through Health Ed, and bringing a smile to peoples’ faces when they spot her bright green shirt! When she isn’t busy planning or putting on events for her residents, Dani can be found experimenting with vegan cuisine, volunteering, researching world issues, or dancing around her room to 80’s music.
David is a third year student at York University completing a specialized honours in Biomedical Science. In his first year at York, Dave played for the York Men's Varsity Basketball Team. Since then he has focused his time and dedication to his studies. Dave hopes to attend medical school in the near future and become a pediatrician. Dave enjoys running, football and playing with his dog, Lola. Dave looks forward to being the Health Ed-In-Res Representative at Bethune College. He hopes to meet many new faces and promote a healthier life style for all at York University.
Delisile is going into her second year at York University, and is in the honours program in Biomedical Science. During her spare time she listens to house music, watches movies or reads fiction novels. She also likes going out with friends, hanging out and having fun, as well as late afternoon walks with friends, which are so much fun but also keep her body healthy. This is her first year with the Health Education and Promotion team, and she is really excited about working on the Peer SHOP team.
Edith is in her third year in the honours Social Work program at York. She enjoys films, music, literature and spending time with friends. She hopes to be able to help her fellow peers to the best of her ability, while learning and participating more in the York community. This is her first year on Health Education and she is looking forward to working on the Alcohol Team.
Elaina is in her 4th year of undergraduate studies in Kinesiology and her 3rd year of concurrent education. She aspires to become a Physical Education and History teacher. This is her first year on the Nutrition and Health Eating team, but she hopes to effectively promote healthy eating habits to all at York University. She keeps active by playing lots of sports, especially volleyball, biking and doing p90x. Elaina naturally promotes healthy eating habits to her family and friends. In her spare time, she loves spending time with family and friends, meeting new people, dancing and travelling.
Floyd is an international student who comes from the gorgeous and serene island nation of Barbados in the Eastern Caribbean. Wanting to see the vision of his country’s forefathers fulfilled, he decided to pursue an undergraduate degree in International Studies at Glendon. He will be starting his 3rd year and is working toward becoming a career diplomat for Barbados. When not studying he enjoys the beach (when at home), singing, dancing, anything associated with music and liming with friends as his Bajan people say. He is very excited to be working with Health Education and Promotion for a second year because it was tons of fun the first time. He’s got lots of island spirit that he’ll be happy to share!
Hajia is an international student from Ghana and is in her second year of Biomedical Science. Her hobbies include taekwondo, reading novels and watching medical dramas. This is her first year on the Health Education Team and she is excited to take on challenge of promoting healthy eating at York, as a part of the Nutrition Team.
Haseena is entering her last year of study in the Psychology program and hopes to pursue a career in health. This is her first year volunteering for the Health Ed team and she is very excited. She is looking forward to being part of a team that helps to not only educate but also encourage other York students towards a healthier lifestyle. In her spare time she likes to read, and spend time with her friends.
Janice is a third year Health Policy major. She is passionate about community involvement and clean living. This is her first year with Health Education and she's really excited to be part of the Leave the Pack Behind Team. She can't wait to meet new people, learn a lot, and share what she knows. In her spare time she loves working out, old movies, dancing, and trying to learn how to cook.
Jannike is entering her second year at York studying Business Administration at the Schulich School of Business and is very excited to be joining the Alcohol team. She hopes to be able to reach out to other students and educate them about responsible partying and drinking. As an international student from the tiny island of Bahrain, she enjoys listening to music, swimming, trying out different sports and even a little bit of kickboxing. It’s her first year on the Health Ed team and she hopes to make the most of the experience!
Jasraj is going into his third year at York studying Chemistry. He loves to work out, play basketball, and listen to music. He looks forwards to interacting with his fellow peers and being apart of the Active Living Team.
Javeria is an international student going into her second year. Javeria is majoring in Communications with a minor in Political Science. She loves to read and write and to take long walks. She also enjoys meeting new people because they bring new experiences with them. Javeria’s always up for learning something new and she believes that one learns something new everyday without realizing it. Javeria is thrilled to be part of the Health Ed team working as Health Ed In Res for Stong.
Jen is going into her third year in the Visual Arts program at York. She is glad to say that she’s on the LTPB team because she feels that her past experiences with anti-smoking campaigns will not only help her, but others at York. Jen is an avid comic book collector and her passion in life is art, so naturally she’s an aspiring comic book artist. She loves warm weather, the outdoors and her dog, who is her best friend. She can’t wait to get back to York and to start wearing her green shirt!
Joseph is in his final year at York studying Math. He enjoys watching movies, listening to and making all kinds of music, as well as keeping active and working out. He has an abnormally healthy diet and believes, “He who has health has hope; and he who has hope has everything.” This will be Joseph’s first year as a Peer Health Educator and he is thrilled to be a part of the new Men’s Team.
Joy is in her fourth year studying psychology, with dreams of one day becoming a guidance counsellor. She is super excited to be a part of the Active Living Team and looks forward to spreading the JOY of exercise on campus!
Justin is a Psychology Major at York. This is his second year with Health Ed! He looks forward to working with a great team this year to help make our campus community healthier in mind and body. In his spare time, he just wants to relax by either listening to his music with the bass turned way up or alternatively through introspection but he finds it very difficult to do both at the same time!
Going into her third year in Biomedical Sciences, this is Jyotika’s second year with Health Education on the Sexual Health Team. She is very excited to be back again, and is looking forward more than ever to spread the word about healthy sexuality on campus! Jyotika loves to meet new people and is very approachable, so don’t hesitate to talk to her if you want to know anything about or related to sex. She also loves to play table tennis, listen to all kinds of international music (J-pop, K-pop, Bollywood, etc.), and has a pet hedgehog named Feisty.
Katie is a third year Kinesiology student here at York. She is from British Colombia, but thinks Toronto is a great city. When she’s not studying, Katie can be found running, swimming or at the Tait Mackenzie Center. This is her first year with Health Ed, and she looks forward to an awesome year on the Active Living Team.
Krisel is pursuing a second major in Psychology. Her first degree is in Molecular Biology. This is her first year as a Peer Health Educator and she looks forward to promoting healthy eating habits with the Nutrition Team. She enjoys basketball, playing piano, running, and travelling. Her dream is to provide and promote basic healthcare in Africa.
Lisa is a fourth year Anthropology student who is excited to be part of the Alcohol Awareness team with Health Ed! She has done volunteer work in the past that ranged from playing her clarinet in a band to saving lives! In her spare time, she enjoys playing with her dog, going out when she isn’t broke and going to the beach when it’s actually warm enough. She is super excited to be a part of the team because she likes meeting new people and helping others.
Lyna (pronounced Lee-na) doesn’t like it when people mispronounce her name!! She’s in her last year studying Health & Society and her second year on Health Ed. She loves food and sleeping when she’s not busy with Health Ed, Health & Society, Planned Parenthood or work! She is thrilled to be the Peer SHOP coordinator this year and even more thrilled to be working with the FIRST EVER volunteers of Peer SHOP! She is excited to be helping students who have real and raw questions regarding sex, relationships, pleasure and so much more.
Maitreya is going into his third year in specialised honours in Financial and Business Economics at York University. He enjoys spending his time with family and friends, whether it is in a coffee house, playing basketball or football and going on adventurous trips like white-water rafting down the Ottawa River. He particularly loves to play and watch sports of all kinds, and his favourite football team is the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. Maitreya is a youth activist and believes it is important to help those in need, whether it is in raising funds and/or awareness for the given cause being supported. This year he is very appreciative to be a Peer Health Educator the Men’s Team. P.S. Maitreya loves to smile!
Margaret is in her second year at York, and enjoys film, dancing, Muay Thai, and playing Dungeons and Dragons. She believes that staying healthy should be fun and painless, drawn from her own experiences baking experimental vegetarian dishes, and impromptu dancing when the mood strikes. As the Health Ed-in-Res coordinator for Pond Residence, Margaret hopes to meet many new people, learn a whole lot from her peers, and promote a fun, healthy lifestyle for students on campus.
Mariam is entering her fourth year in Kinesiology and Health Studies. This is her first year on Health Education and Promotion. She is very excited to be the team lead for Special Projects which includes the amazing programs Running Relief and Safe Source. Apart from being involved with health initiatives, she is also the Chair for the Faculty of Health Student Caucus. A few of her hobbies include: running, reading, and exploring Toronto.
Matt is a fourth-year student pursuing an Honours Double Major in Kinesiology and Psychology. This is his third year working with Health Ed, and he is the team lead of the Mental Health and Stress Team!. When he’s not busy with school or work, Matt enjoys playing sports, reading, owning his friends in Rock Band, and watching TV. He is currently working on becoming a certified sky diver, and has only a few more jumps to go before he reaches that goal. His list of things-to-do also includes: bungee jumping, backpacking through Europe, and of course, world peace.
Matt is going into his last year of the Sexuality Studies program at York. As a transfer student, he has long since given up on trying to figure out what “year” he is technically in! This will be his first year with Health Ed working with the new Men’s Health team, and he is excited to work with the men of York to spread awareness about gender violence, healthy relationships and sexuality, and to help foster an environment of inclusivity, compassion, and empathy for everyone. In his spare time Matt likes to eat home-made Indian food (!), dance, and have a good conversation (so say hello to him and strike one up!).
Melisa is working towards completing her undergraduate degree in Psychology, specializing in Developmental Psychology. She hopes to become a Parenting and Family Dynamics Therapist and also to get involved in prevention programs regarding anxiety and stress reduction through body-mind awareness. She loves cooking, dancing, and painting, and enjoys participating in breathing and movement workshops to keep happy and healthy. As a part of the Mental Health and Stress Team this year, Melisa is super excited to connect with students and promote the importance of keeping a balance between physical and mental health, while reaching out to York’s student body about the wealth of resources available for students to have a great university experience!
Michelle is in her fifth year of undergraduate study, working towards completing her degree in Psychology. In the past she has been a member of the psychology peer mentor group. She has fostered her interpersonal skills through her time spent as an associate for various retail corporations. In her spare time she enjoys fostering her culinary skills and has recently developed a passion for baking. This is her first year on the Sexual Health team and is excited to help out.
Michelle is going into her third year at Glendon, doing a double major in English and Sociology. She is also part of the Concurrent Education program at Keele. She loves using creative methods, particularly games, to teach lessons, so that kids remain active while in school, not only in the required 20 minutes of their day. In her spare time, she is sort of a gamer, and enjoys MMOs, particularly RPGs. However, she loves sleeping too! My main academic interests include sociology of education, such as the relationship between the school and students, teachers and students, students and students, etc. As we all know, school can cause a ton of stress, so Michelle is really looking forward to sharing her methods of stress relief with the Glendon and York community.
Naveen is in her third year at York majoring in Biomedical Science. During her spare time, she enjoys watching television, listening to Pakistani music and spending time with family and friends. This is her first year on the Health Ed Team and she is looking forward to helping others with their health-related issues and giving back to the York community.
Nevena is a second-year French major at Glendon College. When she isn't writing French papers, she likes to workout, dance, hang out with her friends, and watch movies. Nevena is active and is interested in all areas of health and well-being. As a member of Glendon Health Education Team and Leave The Pack Behind, she feels that it is her duty to promote healthy living to her peers during the 2011-2012 school year!
Nicole is completing her second degree at York in Political Science having just completed a degree in Anthropology and a Professional Certificate in Marketing. She is an international student from the beautiful Islands of The Bahamas. This is her third year with Health Ed; she is looking forward to being the team lead for the Alcohol and Drug Awareness Team. When not at school or working, Nicole spends her time watching more T.V than one person should, as well listening to and looking for obscure music, since her iPod is her heart.
Nikita is in her second year at York, working towards her first undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science program. When she’s not studying, she volunteers at the Royal Ontario Museum as well as Sunnybrook Health Science Center. Her hobbies include watching documentaries (especially about science/nature), outdoor running and experimenting with vegan cuisine. She has recently moved into the Village at York and looks forward to being apart of the Healthy Active Living team to meet new people and try to encourage students to have a more active lifestyle.
Patrice is a third-year Health and Society student and is the Health Ed-in-Res representative for Winters this year! Patrice is hoping to pursue a career in both education and health promotion (so naturally, Health Ed is a perfect fit!). She loves dancing, traveling, going to concerts, and doing spontaneous handstands wherever she is. This is Patrice’s first year with Health Education and she is incredibly excited to be a part of the team!
Rachael is in her third year at York studying for an honours degree in applied mathematics and biology. In her free time she enjoys reading, doing puzzles, chilling with friends and doing sports. Some of her favourite sports are cycling, kayaking and skiing. She regularly works out at the gym and enjoys all of the classes that it offers. She is extremely excited to be a part of the Healthy Eating and Nutrition Team. She believes that we can all benefit from healthy eating and is excited to find ways to pass on her knowledge to you! She is looking forward to a wonderful year, full of healthy eating and nutrition!
Rachèl is entering her second year of study in the political science program at Glendon University where she also plans on completing a minor in French. This is her first year with Health Ed and she is very excited to use her organizational and social skills to help complete another successful year with her fellow team members! A few of Rachèl’s favourite things are: music, cheesecake and spending time with friends and family!
Richmond is entering his fourth year in Kinesiology and his second year in Health Education. He is a Certified Personal Trainer and is in the Fitness Assessment Stream. During his down time, he enjoys working out at Tait Mackenzie, watching TV shows and a lot of movies. He is the team lead for the Active Living Team and hopes to meet everyone in one of our Body Breaks or at our Wellness Wednesdays.
Shazia is in her second year at York, pursuing an honours BA in Philosophy and also working towards a French certificate. It’s been a lifelong dream of hers to become a lawyer, and she is currently leaning towards either family or corporate law. She is VERY excited about being a part of the Sexual Health Team here at Health Education and Promotion and about becoming more involved within the York community! Shazia loves meeting new people and is extremely approachable, enthusiastic and energetic, so if you’ve got any questions… she’s you’re girl!
Sneha is a third year student working towards her degree in Biology (in the Biomedical stream), and aims to pursue a career in medicine. In her spare time, she loves to hang out with friends, watch movies and listen to music. As a member of the nutrition team, she hopes to instil the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle into the York community. This is her second year working with Health Ed, and she is looking forward to an exciting and memorable year ahead!
Syed is a fourth-year Kinesiology and Health Science student. This is his second year on the Health Ed Team, and he is very excited about being on the Men’s Health Team. Drawing upon personal experience, he believes that an active and healthy lifestyle vastly improves the other facets of one’s life! His favourite quote is "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." - Pablo Picasso.
Peer Health Education August Training
Curious about becoming a peer health educator? Check out pictures of our training sessions!
Student Community & Leadership Development (SC&LD)
Tel: (416) 736-5144
Location: S172 Ross Building
A division of Student Community Development (SCD)
