Stephanie Tremblay
Stephanie is currently working towards a M.Sc in occupational therapy at McGill. She is also working as a research assistant for her professor at the Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital in Laval. The goal is to use new technology to provide better rehabilitation services. She has worked with wheelchair simulators, robotic assistive devices, and virtual reality.

She loves working with kids, and has volunteered at a school for children with physical disabilities and developmental delays. She is concerned about health in her community as well as around the world. Global issues in health interest her in particular. In fact, she completed the “Interprofessional Global Health Course” organized by the faculty of Medicine at McGill this winter.

She looks forward to helping the Abhilasha Project attain their goal of building a new school for the children of Rajnandgaon.

Nilmini Mendis
I am currently studying Food Science at McGill's Mac Campus. My goal is to pursue a career in Public Health.

I volunteered in several nursing homes during high school, was a Sunday School teacher for 5 years and I am currently volunteering at a hospital. I am and always have been a book worm and so I am really excited to participate in this project for such an amazing cause.

Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it – Mahatma Gandhi

Melene Sivayogan
My name is Melene Sivayogan. I am 22 years old and I am majoring in Statistics at Concordia University. I have a passion for music and have played the piano for over 10 years. I also love working with children and have worked at a summer camp with children of all ages and with disabilities.

I first heard of the Abhilasha Project from my friend Anchela who is also participating in this trek. After doing some research and learning about Abhilasha Project's mission, I couldn't miss out on this opportunity. I've previously done some volunteer work where I had to raise funds for relief efforts for the victims of the tsunami disaster, the Haiti earthquake and the floods in Pakistan.

Though I have helped out in emergency situations such as those, I never got the chance to travel to a country and had the opportunity to personally work with underprivileged people. Spending time in this new and very different environment with these children will definitely be an eye-opening experience and I'm grateful to have been given this amazing opportunity

Christina Mete
When Christina began as her piano teacher’s assistant more than five years ago she realised she had a passion for teaching and helping others. She can definitely say that her experience learning and teaching piano has influenced her life tremendously. Currently she is working towards completing her exam for grade 9 piano with the Royal Conservatory of Music. She has also just completed her second year at McGill University in the Faculty of Education. Upon her completion of her Bachelor’s degree Christina hopes to travel abroad and specialize in teaching students with special needs.

Christina’s participation in the Ladakh Charity Trek this August will be an eye-opening experience for her because this will be one of the first opportunities where she will be able to broaden her knowledge on international education. She is looking forward to the opportunity of meeting and working with the teachers and students at the school and believes that this experience will stay with her for the rest of her life.

Another aspect of the trip that interests Christina greatly is the trek. Although she has no experience trekking she looks forward to pushing herself out of her comfort zone and showing herself that she can do anything she sets her mind to. Since September 2010 Christina has made a conscious effort to eat healthy and exercise. This five day trek she will be participating in will no doubt be a challenge but also a celebration of how far she has come.

Anchela Rajeshwaran
Hi! My name is Anchela Rajeshwaran. I want to participate in this trek because it fulfills a couple of the desires I wish to accomplish. Firstly, I have always wanted to help less developed countries. I aspire to be an individual who participates in humanitarian causes either in education or health care. And this trek provides an excellent stepping-stone towards that goal. Also, this semester I had the privilege to work with individuals with disabilities. This experience truly is an eye opener and it changed my perspective of the lifestyle of these individuals. Secondly, I love physical challenges.

As a kinesiology student, the health benefits of exercise and physically challenging oneself is always emphasized. Thus, this trek would be an interesting trek because I have never imagined being able to plan and trek 17,000ft in a country I have never visited. And finally, I have always wanted to visit India. It has been a dream of mine to experience the diversified culture of India. I know that I will gain a lot from this trip emotionally, physically and culturally.

Aliya Rashid

My name is Aliya Rashid, and I just finished my first year at McGill University. I am studying science, and am hoping to work in the medical field after completing my post-secondary education. I absolutely love children, and I strongly believe that this is the perfect opportunity to gain more experience with them.

I have never done volunteering abroad in a developing country, so this trek will be an amazing experience. It will definitely be an eye-opener for me, since I also have never visited a country like India. I am excited to meet new people, and make a difference in someone’s life. I’ve always wanted to see what life was like outside of developed nations, and I hope to learn a lot of important life lessons from this trip. I believe that by being exposed to various cultures, I will be able to have a greater appreciation for the differences each individual possesses. It will enable me to become more open-minded and appreciative of others’ beliefs and values.

I am confident that this trek will have a great impact on me, and will make me a stronger person. I look forward to building strong friendships with everyone and creating unforgettable memories!