On June 16, 2023, The Ministry of Youth is putting together an epic event for Métis youth to listen to stories and connect with other youth and their career journeys. The event focuses on youth achievements and celebrates Métis youth in our communities. The panelists will share stories of their journey and offer tips that may be helpful to other Métis youth as they navigate through their own career journeys and life's transitions.
This event is open to Métis youth between the ages of 15 and 30 and live in B.C.
Jordan Waunch - Emcee / Host
Jordan Waunch is a Vancouver based Métis performing artist, public speaker, and award winning filmmaker. A graduate of the British Columbia Institute of Technology's Film And Television Production Program, Jordan has gone on to build a career as a professional casting associate at the Vancouver based casting facility Studio 3 Media. In 2019 he directed the project "Sisters Of Sorrow" through StoryHive’s first ever Indigenous Storyteller Edition and produced the Queer Indigenous horror film “Terror/Forming”. His most recent directing project "Shadow Of The Rougarou" is playing on APTN's streaming service Lumi.
Drew Nagao
Drew is a self-employed hairstylist, born, raised, and back to living in Golden, BC. They have worked with MYBC and their local Métis Community for over a decade. The Métis Nation is who helped Drew through hairstyling school, providing opportunities to get them to where they are now.
Jessica Schaub
Jessica is a first-year PhD student at UBC studying jellyfish ecology. She is also Alberta Métis and grew up on Treaty 6 Territory in northern Alberta. She is an avid scuba diver, and dove with sharks in South Africa a few years ago!
Keenan Beavis
Keenan Beavis is the award winning founder of Longhouse Media, one of Canada’s largest indigenous owned media companies. Longhouse specializes in growing businesses and brands from $500k to $5 million in sales using digital marketing and media. He has been featured in publications such as Forbes, BC Business, TechRepublic and New York Magazine. In his spare time, Keenan is obsessed with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and MMA, practicing regularly. His biggest advice to entrepreneurs is to 'take action'. Don't wait for all the pieces to align. Take the first step and 'fail-forward'; use mistakes as lessons and improve your business a little bit each day.
Cheyenne Quinn
Cheyenne Quinn is a Program Manager for Metis Nation British Columbia for the Ministry of Housing & Homelessness. She has been managing the Ma Niki Home Renovations Program since July 2022. After graduating from Sprott Shaw College in July 2021 with a Diploma in Business administration, Cheyenne moved along quickly to gaining useful certificates to excel in her career further than she thought she could with Project Management and Construction management under her belt. Cheyenne has worked alongside non-profits, Indigenous governments, and provincial governments, supporting Metis citizens, and advocating on a public front for Metis People. In her spare time, she speaks with local youth in her community and provides valuable lessons about career growth and facing challenging obstacles Youth-at-risk face every day. Cheyenne will be sharing her knowledge with Metis Youth of the gainful skills and rules that have set her up for success as a young Program Manager.