I am a parent and community organizer from Toronto’s Esplanade neighbourhood, my home for 20 years.
I first moved to Toronto in 1997 to attend U of T, where I was elected to student government and completed a BA in Film Studies and English Literature. I then lived in the U.S. from 2001 to 2006, earning my MA in Film Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. While there, I taught public speaking and film studies and served as a steward in the UW’s Teaching Assistants’ Association (AFT Local 3320).
When my partner and I moved back to Toronto in 2006, we chose to make the Esplanade neighbourhood our home. I taught film studies at U of T, then launched my career as a writer in the film and TV industry, where I worked for the next decade.
In 2017, I began building relationships in my local residents’ association. Together, we stood up to Metrolinx and amplified local concerns surrounding a proposed track expansion project, which Metrolinx ultimately abandoned.
In 2020, I met my local MPP, Chris Glover. I volunteered to be his community coordinator for co-ops and worked with co-op managers and residents to organize the delivery of PPE to some of Spadina-Fort York’s most vulnerable residents during the COVD-19 pandemic.
When my child started school in 2021, I went back to school too, pursuing my MA in Library and Information Science at U of T, which I completed in 2023.
From 2022 to 2024, I co-chaired the Market Lane Junior and Senior PS School Council, where I was a fierce advocate for staffing, safety, and the school library. Our School Council budget was tight, so in 2023 I innovated a new model for organizing our end-of-year Fun Fair. I built partnerships with local nonprofits and businesses, and with their support we were able to host a joyful, fun-filled celebration at no cost to families, on a budget of around $500. The Market Lane PS School Council continues to use this model to organize its highly popular Fun Fair each June.
In January 2025, I started working as Constituency Assistant to MPP Glover. When the Ford government called a snap election later that month, I took on the role of Voter Contact Organizer with Chris’s reelection campaign and connected with voters community members from across Spadina-Fort York, from Dufferin Street to the Distillery District.
Following Chris’s reelection, I returned to his Constituency Office, where I:
Coordinated working groups on issues such housing and homelessness and gun violence
Organized a Youth Council
Collaborated with our team to host hugely popular community events such as our end-of-summer BBQ, Bollywood Jam, and Holipalooza
Built relationships with community leaders and service organizations, local School Councils and Principals, Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik, and MPP Peter Tabuns
I was also elected union steward with COPE Local 343.
Though the role of MPP Glover’s Constituency Assistant encompassed many duties, my first priority, every day, was to listen to constituents and to advocate on their behalf to the very best of my abilities.
Now that I have the opportunity to run for Ward 5 TDSB Trustee, I want to hear from YOU about your concerns for local schools. Together, we can fight for a better future for public education.