Find Your Place
Find Your Place: Discover the Community Sector
An Educational Career Panel
Are you a youth under 30 and curious about a career in the community sector? Join Y4Y for Find Your Place: Discover the Community Sector, an engaging lunch hour panel where you’ll hear directly from professionals working in the field, explore different career paths, and learn about the opportunities – and challenges – that come from working in community organizations.
What to Expect
📣 Hear from Community Sector Professionals
Our one-hour panel will feature three professionals from the community sector, moderated by Y4Y’s Volunteer Engagement Coordinator Stefan Gherman. Panelists will share insight into their roles, their organization’s mandates, and the academic and professional journeys that led them to where they are today.
💬 Ask Questions
After the panel, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A about careers in the community sector.
🤝 Connect with Organizations
Stick around for a networking hour with community sector organizations, including Y4Y. Meet people working in the field, make connections, and learn more about your potential career pathways.
🍕 Enjoy a Free Lunch
Because networking is better with food.
🏆 Enter to Win Prizes
Every youth attending the event will have the chance to enter a raffle featuring prizes with a total value of $250!
Ready to Find Your Place?
Register today to discover your career in the community sector. It’s more than a job💙
Panelists
Stefan Gherman
Volunteer Engagement Coordinator
Stefan completed his BA in Political Science at Concordia University, after which he worked as Project Coordinator and Community Organizer at Saint-Henri’s neighborhood roundtable. He later chose to pursue a Master’s degree in Political Science at UQAM, while volunteering as a French instructor and conversation workshop mentor for two community organizations, facilitating the integration of newcomers into Québec society and improving their French fluency. Passionate about social justice, political economy, pedagogy and community-driven initiatives, Stefan integrated the Y4Y team in the Spring of 2026, working as Volunteer Engagement Coordinator for the summer.
Melissa Torres
Panelist
I’m Melissa Torres, an artist, founder and director of the Centre des Arts et Langues de Montréal (CALM). I firmly believe that art can change lives, create connections and give everyone a voice. For several years, I’ve been working with youth and communities through artistic projects, cultural outreach, and citizen engagement, most notably with the Laurent-Duvernay-Tardif Founation and the City of Montréal. My goal is to inspire youth to believe in their potential and transform their ideas into action.
Victor Tardif
Panelist
As a fervent advocate for the right to housing, I have fought against the horrors caused by the private housing market and defended tenants' interests while working as a community organizer for the Comité logement du Plateau Mont-Royal (CLPMR). Seeking solutions to the housing crisis by deepening my understanding of the issues, I returned to school to pursue a master’s degree in political science at UQÀM. In my spare time, I teach English at the Centre des Arts et des Langues de Montréal (CALM). During election campaigns, you will find me out in the community, going door-to-door to advocate for a dignified life for all.
Arielle Warten
Panelist
Arielle Warten, Co-Founder of Scattered Automatic Expression Association, and Youth Mental Health Coordinator at MEPEC, who also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Concordia University, is driven by a passion for diverse subjects in the arts, music, social sciences and humanities. In November 2023, she represented English speakers at Parliament, offering youth opinions and insights on bill C13. Active in the Bishops Forum and many non profits organizations supporting English speaking Quebecers, she is passionate about helping individuals in her community and through her organization Scattered, she uses holistic and community based inclusive approaches.
Arielle is also interested in AI safety and governance, passionate for safe and inclusive practices in the development of AI through her involvement with Q&Ai, A Canadian platform turning the conversation about AI into something people can actually step into through storytelling.
As an artist and musician, Arielle values true authentic creativity and human connection, and wants to shape the future to be more human centered and with individuals mental health in mind.