Our Team

Rachel Baran

Program Director

"I joined LiT in my 1st year at Western as a volunteer at Marconi Housing Community. I joined because throughout High School I was involved in an after school program for kids and I absolutely loved the experience and how much fun I always had with the kids. LiT became more than just a club to me, it is a community of like-minded students who want to promote healthy living and make a positive impact on kids across London"

Stella Iankov

Program Director

"This is my 6th year with LiT. I initially joined as a volunteer during my first year of undergrad after seeing an advertisement for the program. I’ve always loved working with children, and I was drawn to LiT’s mission of promoting literacy, numeracy and health to children across the London community. Every year was an even better experience than the last, and I am very happy to be back this year as Program Director"

Angela Wang

School and Housing Liason

"I joined LiT in my second year at Western after hearing about it from my roommate who had really enjoyed being a volunteer with the LiT program. I loved the idea of being able to reach out to the community, spending one-on-one time with the kids and promoting a healthy living habits"

Marco Herrera

Volunteer Coordinator

"I joined LiT back during the 4th year of my undergraduate degree. I immediately fell in love with the program and the impact it has on the London youth community. I have always loved working with children and LiT provided an opportunity to promote health, numeracy and literacy, all of which are critical at a young age. I have loved my past 2 years and looking forward to another great year!"

Rina Komissarov

Events Coordinator

"I joined LiT because I wanted to get more involved with Western and the London community! I also love working with kids and hope to work with them more once I graduate. LiT gave me the opportunity to work in an awesome environment and made me feel like I truly made a difference in children's lives"

Mohammed Kashif

Financial Coordinator

"I joined LiT in second year because I was seeking opportunities to be involved in my community. I love working with kids and I really believe in the program’s mission"

Laeticia Lamothe

Communications Coordinator

"I joined LiT in second year after receiving an email about it. The program was really appealing to me because it involved health promotion and leadership opportunities. After joining, I have learned that it is so much more than just that and I am beyond grateful to be part of such an awesome team and project"

Patrick Aldrige

Program Evaluator

"I joined LiT in first year because I adore playing with and helping kids, and LiT does both! I love that I get to have lots of fun with the kids and still teach them about their academics and health along the way!"

Reya Siby

Program Coordinator

"I joined LiT in my first year and have been a part of it ever since! I love LiT because it’s such an important and informative program for kids while also being so much fun! Being a part of LiT is enjoyable because it’s something that I can do that is different from my usual school schedule"

Maya Stuart

Program Coordinator

"I joined LiT as a volunteer in my second year at Western. Growing up with little siblings, I’ve always loved interacting with children and LiT gave me the opportunity to do so while promoting healthy living. I enjoyed getting to know the children at my site and watching them express their creativity when working on crafts and other activities. I am looking forward to taking on a larger role with LiT this year"

Julia Yates

Volunteer Coordinator

"I joined LiT in my second year of university to become more involved in the London community and to help children in any way I could. Most memorable moment: In my first year of LiT as a general volunteer, my buddy was extremely shy but by the end he cried as we said goodbye. I knew that in our eight weeks together I had made a positive impact on his life, just as he had on mine"

Puneet Dhaliwal

Social Media Coordinator

"I joined LiT my first year here at Western  because I wanted to assist children in different subject areas such as science, math, art, literacy, health and physical education, while having fun! Likewise, it is especially important to promote learning and healthy living  to these students  to positively impact youth in the London community!"

Adam Salaymeh

Web Designer

"I've always wanted to find a way to combine my passion in technology with a compelling mission I care a lot about, and the opportunity to be apart of LiT has not delivered anything short of that! It's only my first year here, but I cannot wait to see how things pan out for the kids with our refreshing new website!"