Pride of the NOrth: YEAR Sweet 16!!

Stevie Michaela, born and raised on the northside of Edmonton. Stevie leaves in a partial - Caribbean household with a Mother from England and Father from Grenada. She is often known for her happy spirit, giving soul and contagious smile.  From a young age Stevie always loved to help others learn new things such as her caribbean culture. She also loved to dance and was put into dance classes where She danced for many years and got into helping her dance instructor with teaching little kids. This is where Stevie really fell in love with helping others learn cultural traditions, dances, skills and how to bring more to the community. Over the years Stevie has volunteered with many organizations in the black community, including Cariwest. Recently Stevie’s passion to help people grew as she attended Ross Sheppard High School for her 12th year, and joined the BSA. While getting to work with the BSA, Stevie became one of the VP’s and got to work closely with Mr. Andrew Parker and other like minded leaders and individuals to collaborate and share ideas on many events to bring the community and people together. The BSA was another outlet for me to work with other goal oriented people who want to create a safe positive environment for the community. My goal is to be able to teach, learn, and experience new things to, from and with others. As a Young woman with the ability to advocate for positive change and inclusion, I will use my voice to support and uplift the Black community.

Clifford (Shino) Bangura @stillshino : Master of Ceremonies of our festival, and performing artist: Rap category!

Clifford is a self proclaimed Jack of All trades, and we as a community know and believe that he is a Master of all. Basketball, Hip hop, design, producing, he can do it all. Last year at the @prideofthenorthtourney Clifford volunteered as co-MC and his talents were quickly recognized as incomparable. Engaging the younger athletes in songs & dance, encouraging the older athletes with words of praise, Clifford is a beacon of Black joy & hope for the North Edmonton community. A proud graduate of Ross Sheppard high school, a champion on and off the court, former collegiate athlete, he will be an integral piece in our Staff and community next je weekend. We will be sharing Clifford’s music all weekend as last year he surprised us with some of his own music! Welcome to the team beloved, we can’t wait to see you doing your thing!

Olanrewaju Lawal Rasaq, mostly known by the name Larry, was born in Nigeria. After moving across the world, Larry arrived in Edmonton, Alberta in late 2019. He attended M.E. Lazerte High School, where he played American football for three years. During his time there, he became actively involved with the LaZerte Black Student Association (BSA), eventually becoming a representative for the group.

Larry's daily joy and happiness at school came from ensuring everyone was okay by checking on their everyday well-being. His commitment to helping others extended beyond school, as he participated in various volunteer activities, including the organization of the winter carnival.

In recognition of his dedication and leadership, Larry received several awards during his academic journey, including the Graduate Award for Athletic Leadership, the Premier Citizenship Award, and the Tom Elniski Award in 2023.

Larry will be attending the University of Concordia, where he plans to continue his academic and athletic pursuits. He aims to be more involved and participate in more community activities, further contributing to the well-being of those around him.

Maya Genge was born and raised in the Edmonton Northside. Growing up in a multicultural household and community, Maya developed a deep appreciation for both her own diverse heritage and the cultures around her. Her commitment to cultural understanding and community service grew during her high school years at M.E. Lazerte.

At Lazerte, Maya became involved with the Black Students Association, where she organized events that celebrated cultural diversity such as cultural fashion shows. Through the BSA, she was also able to reach out to other schools across the northside to educate on racial issues.  She showcased her mixed Afro Latina roots by participation in the BSA as well as other cultural events hosted by the school. Beyond her work at school, Maya has volunteered with children in the community. Her volunteer efforts mentored and supported children, further demonstrating her commitment to positive community impact.

After helping build and nurture a legacy of diversity in me lazerte, Maya plans to further her work with children and education by becoming an elementary school teacher. She hopes to have more opportunities to work with her community as she strives towards this goal.

Isaiah Francis Prince, born and raised in north Edmonton. Isaiah was blessed with being a child of two lovely Caribbean parents. Dad being from Jamaica and Mom being From Antigua. From a young age Isaiah was put into soccer which he played for multiple years until he started to learn about the Sport basketball which he then fell in love with. Upon learning about the game of basketball Isaiah continued to play the game of basketball till now. Isaiah Attended and just recently Graduated from Ross Sheppard High School were he spent all 3 years. In his Grade 11 year Isaiah had his first Encounter with The O.G Mr. Parker! Mr. Parker and Isaiah instantly clicked and later on down the line they found out they had many connections with each other. Having the same goals in mind Mr. Parker offered Isaiah a position in the Bsa (Black Student Alliance). Isaiah is now supporting and uplifting The Pride Of The North tourney and The Brother and sisters of the community!

Hazel Turyasiima, was born in Uganda but later on moved to Edmonton few years back. 

Just recently graduated from Ross Sheppard High School, and in my 12th year hoping the ShepBSA and becoming a Co-President with others and connected with Mr. Parker.

I work with the African Canadian Civic Engagement Council, and our main goal is to help with People of colour to succeed in this life 

I love to help out people to succeed and to see people happy

I have helped out in many of the Ugandan community events 

  Volunteered with the Africa Centre Afterschool care 

Ever since moving to Edmonton on i have grown to love basketball and watching it is my favourite thing to do in my free time 

After working and being along since the ShepBSA it has shown me how us people of colour need to speak up for each other and help grow our community to speak up for themselves and so succeed in any way possible. 

As a recently graduated black woman, I want to show other young teenagers coming into high school to be true to themselves and to never give up. To dream big. 

Meet Denis, he's a kind and caring man who looks out for those in his circle and others who might need a helping hand. He’s a very talented individual in various activities and very much enjoys them, specifically playing soccer, playing piano and cooking. Though being born in Canada, Denis the 16 year old Sierra Leonian, grew up loving his culture and everything about it but wanted to do more in the African community. By joining bsa and volunteering at none profits, he was able to widen his knowledge and greater increase. Denis loves learning about the different cultures and traditions not just in Africa, but all over the world. The diverse clothing, foods and lifestyles are very interesting to him. 

Denis’ commitment lead him to be one of the main leaders in bsa and he sees this as a great opportunity to not just benefit his leadership, but his ability to give and share thoughts to the shep bsa community and any place where he feels would need assistance for any cause. He’s going into his grd 11th year in September and plans on continuing to be the hardworking bsa leader that he’s already shown he is.

Born and Raised in Canada, Marwa Sulub was born in Edmonton alongside her twin sister Safa, and spent the first 6 years in Winnipeg.

Marwa grew up in a Somali house with both her parents being from Somaliland. Growing up Marwa wasn’t really affiliated with the African community as her schools didn’t offer diverse programs. When Marwa came to Shep she’d seen the opportunities and community the school shared, and feeling disconnected with her own community she decided to join Shep’s BSA. That’s where Marwa found a sense of school family and friendship and this is where she wanted to spend her time in the community. Dedicating most of her time to volunteering for the Edmonton Stingers, Leadership events, and any opportunity our BSA puts on amazing events.

Christina: VP of Superheroes and one of the Social Media coordinators for the 2024 Pride of the North Tournament!

Christina Daniel is a hardworking student in her second year of high school. She is apart of numerous clubs and school groups and is co president of her schools BSA. She has started a basketball club at previous school and is the Student Senate at her current school. Christina is actively working toward building a better community wherever she is, including starting numerous food and clothing and food drives to support those in need. She aspires aid her student body and hopes, in her future, to to help those in need.

Mimtas: VP & First Aid HQ

Mimtas Warsame, born and raised on the north side of Edmonton, Alberta, grew up in a Somali household as the eldest daughter, where she developed a strong sense of responsibility from an early age. Managing the needs of her three younger siblings taught her to care for others with compassion and diligence, qualities that have deeply influenced her pursuit of a career in healthcare. Her upbringing has been the bedrock for her commitment to helping those in need and advocating for diverse communities.

At M.E. Lazerte High School, Mimtas took full advantage of opportunities to delve into her cultural roots and broaden her understanding of the rich diversity around her. Her active participation in the (BSA) allowed her to demonstrate her work ethic and leadership while engaging with her peers.

Mimtas aspires to become a nurse, driven by her desire to deepen her understanding of cultural differences and diversity in the healthcare field. She is dedicated to using her experiences and knowledge to make a meaningful impact, seeking to enhance her future opportunities to better serve and advocate for people from all backgrounds.

The Grind Theory" podcast is a motivational and educational show that offers an unfiltered look at the journey behind success—the struggles, setbacks, and challenges often left untold. Hosted by Aquille Ambrose and Ore Dipey, who have both experienced their own ups and downs, the podcast dives deep into real stories of adversity and how these moments shape success. Through candid conversations and dynamic banter, they explore the stories of their guests who share mindsets, habits, and tactics that help entrepreneurs, creatives, and professionals push beyond their limits and achieve their goals in all aspects of life. Each episode delivers inspiring insights and practical strategies, making "The Grind Theory" a go-to resource for anyone looking to elevate their game and get 1% better every day.

My name is Dylan Phumulani Nkala

and I am the Director of YACO.

Creating this program has tasked me with asking a lot of hard questions, to analyze the past and reflect on the future. How can I help my people without infringing on our history, culture and life's. What can I give?

I'm sure you would not be surprised , I truly had no good answer.

What I did have though, was trail bad decisions and mistakes. I learnt what it was like to work in an environment where you are the visible minority.

I learnt what its like to feel the outside pressures of making money and when you make money what to spend it on

I've been depressed.

I've been happy. Throughout all these things the outlet and teachings did not present themselves. Despite the love of parents, I looked to support of peers for advice and mentorship. That advise proved to be wrong. True success comes with time and expertise, from the generations that came before us and connecting on a fundamental level does not come easily. Asking these questions is where I came up with my solution .

I hope to bridge the our generations.

provide knowledge to our future members of our community

Financial literacy

Mental Health Awareness

And a sense of belonging to our people for even those who don't necessarily align with the traditional norms of culture and community .

Early adulthood is some of the most important times of our life's.

My promise is to care, listen and take action. In my Native tongue YACO means "Yours"  Allow me to help you take action YOUR life and create more and more Black Excellence.

We will do whatever it takes for our community to succeed.