Markham Youth Expo Award Winners

Markham Youth Expo Award Winners

MARKHAM, ON - May 7, 2018 – Each May, Markham celebrates youth engagement and showcases their active and diverse participation in their community in the areas of civic engagement, culture, recreation, arts and sports.

In partnership with the Markham Mayor’s Youth Council, Markham hosted the City’s biggest annual Youth Expo at the Markham Village Community Centre & Library on Saturday, May 5 with family-friendly activities such as an inflatable dance zone and competition, Markham X talent showcase, food trucks, exotic car show, youth art zone and much more.

Mayor Frank Scarpitti presented the Markham Youth Awards to three outstanding individuals who have devoted their time to help youth in our City:

Gloria Huang is a Grade 7 student from Sam Chapman Public School who is involved in several clubs and councils at her school. Along with playing the flute in her school band, and writing articles for the student paper, Gloria sits on the school’s Social Committee, planning events for elementary school students in Markham. This is Gloria’s second year on the Markham Mayor’s Junior Council and she looks forward to a bright future contributing to Markham’s youth programs to make a positive impact in our community

As a Grade 9 student at St. Brother Andre Catholic High School, Effiea Ponniah is passionate about music and plays several instruments including piano, violin, flute, guitar and veenai. She is also interested in public speaking, dance, skating, vocal classes and swimming. Effiea loves to volunteer and does so with several organizations that support children with autism at her school and around Markham. She can often be seen at many of Markham’s cultural events, showcasing the City’s rich diversity. Volunteering helps Effiea interact with her peers, jump into new and exciting environments and help make Markham a great place to live, work and play for all.

Joey Chan is a Grade 12 student in the arts music program at Unionville High School. She is part of the school’s wind ensemble, symphonic orchestra, student council and DECA. This year, Joey also cofounded the school’s Wellness Council, which raises awareness for mental, physical and cognitive health in the student community through different workshops and initiatives. One of her goals for this year was to start a free breakfast program for all students and staff members. Further to this, her wellness council ran several workshops for the school to enjoy, including meditation sessions, therapy dogs, and yoga. This year, Joey also served as co-president of Operation Med School Toronto, a non-profit organization that hosts a one day medical conference for all high school students in the GTA to learn more about careers in the health sciences. Joey's passions for helping others, sharing music, and promoting wellness has allowed her to give back to the both her school and the community, and she hopes that those around her will be inspired by her contributions.