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CLASS NOTES

Kathleen Meliton
Commerce ’08
Kathleen is the owner of NEEDS/WANTS clothing boutique in London. The retailer launched in November, following the successful launch of Comme Moi Boutique, in Sarnia in 2013. “The name ‘Needs/Wants’ is a playful nod to the question we all ask ourselves when making a purchase decision,” says Kathleen. “Fashion should be uncomplicated; it should work with your existing wardrobe, and have an accessible price point.” Visit needswantsboutique.ca.

Waubgeshig Rice
Journalism ’02
Waubgeshig is a journalist, radio host, and author who has recently published a new novel, Moon of the Crusted Snow. The book focuses on a post-apocalyptic world from a First Nations perspective, following an Indigenous community in Northern Ontario’s fight to survive by reconnecting with the land. A fan of post-apocalyptic fiction, he says the book was inspired by the blackout that plunged parts of Canada and the U.S. into darkness for several days in 2003. Waubgeshig has also published Midnight Sweatlodge, a collection of short stories, and Legacy, his first novel.

Alexis Esseltine Scoon
Graphic Communications Management ’05 and
Rachel Morier
Graphic Communications Management ’06
Alexis and Rachel connected in 2017 in Vancouver after they both received a master’s in environmental studies. Alexis is a sustainability manager at the Vancouver Aquarium, through the Ocean Wise initiative, while Rachel is the director of sustainability at PAC Packaging Consortium. They have been working to bring the conservation and industry associations together to develop science-based business solutions to address the issue of plastic waste in the oceans.

Sandy Yong
Hospitality and Tourism Management ‘09
Since graduation, Sandy has become an avid financial and real estate investor. She is the author of The Money Master: Inside Secrets on How to Make Your Money Grow and Stay Safe. She hopes to help people overcome their fears and failure and get on track to achieve financial success. She is happily married to Albert Ho, Nursing ’09. For a free downloadable copy of her book, visit sandyyong.com.

2010s

Chanequa Cameron teaches in Deer Lake First Nation.

Chanequa Cameron
Master’s in Early Childhood ’16
Chanequa completed a master’s in teaching at the University of Toronto. She writes: “I relocated from Toronto to Deer Lake First Nation with my nine-yearold daughter. My perspective on life and teaching has transformed, and I can gladly say that this journey is changing my life in many positive ways. I am looking forward to completing the school year here in a Grade 4 class that has demonstrated compassion, the value of tradition and the importance of reciprocal teaching.”

Matthew Ilkiw
Urban and Regional Planning ’18
Matthew is currently working at the Niagara Escarpment Commission as a land use planning assistant. He writes: “I plan on travelling to Australia in December and enrolling in Ryerson’s Chang School to further support my degree with a certificate in applied digital geography and GIS.”

Rachel McManus
RTA ’10
Rachel worked at MacLaren McCann for three years after university. From there, she worked at Canadian Tire Corporation as a producer for all its brands, including leading the creative and full production of the video profiles for inductees into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2015 and 2016. After five years at CTC, she moved on to a leadership role at the Toronto-based boutique agency NYB Media Inc. Both the female founders of the company are RTA alumni, who graduated in 2010. Now as the head of video production and development, Rachel leads creative teams to produce corporate videos.

Alykhan Neky
Architectural Science ’14
Alykhan writes: “After my eight years at Ryerson completing first my bachelor then my master’s in Architectural Science, I have now moved to Harvard University to study Landscape Architecture. I aim to establish a practice in East Africa that straddles both landscape design and architecture.”

42 Ryerson University Magazine / Summer 2019