Our Family

Meet the team behind The Passion Project. We’ve truly become a family.

Tarini Fernando

Co-Founder

T is an International Relations Major at UBC with an unquestionable desire to learn more about the world around her and change it for the better.  She is passionate about immigrant and refugee affairs and enjoys working with children and youth from different backgrounds.  Tarini loves meeting new people, trying new foods, and would never refuse a good chat over a cup of coffee.

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” – Mama Maya Angelou

Eunice Hii

Co-Founder

Live small but dream big is her mantra. E is a Human Resources major at UBC who seeks to create environments where people can shoot for the moon. Nothing excites her more than hearing about others’ passions and helping them achieve their goals. She is passionate about writing, believes in the power of women, and cannot wait to trek the world over.

“Start small. Do what you can with something you care about so deeply that you simply can’t not do it.” – Muhammad Yunus

Ignatius But 

Iggy is in his second year of kinesiology and is passionate about (surprise surprise)…sports, especially of the ultimate Frisbee variety! He is also an avid hiker and enthusiastic photographer, who is always yearning for the outdoors and itching to leave the city behind and hit the trails.

“Men often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn’t have it in the beginning.” – Gandhi

Efua Emil

Efua is a second year student with a major in Sociology and a minor in Law and Society. She is passionate about music, learning, people, and issues regarding crime and law. Efua hopes to one day be able to connect all her passions into an enjoyable career.

“The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.”
- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, The Danger of a Single Story

Yasmine Mehtadi

Yasmine is a fourth year student working towards her degree in psychology and political science at the University of British Columbia. She aims to work in the field of leadership development and organizational psychology when she graduates so that she can help people realize their full potential and build energetic teams. Without a doubt her biggest passion is travel and exploration of the diverse foods, people, and photo opportunities the world has to offer!

“Travel often; getting lost will help you find yourself.”                                                                 – Holstee Manifesto

Alexandra Musgrove

Alex is a second year sociology student and has been involved with The Passion Project executive team for two years. She expresses herself through music and has a passion for working with people, playing soccer, and being creative. The future’s possibilities are endless, and so maybe not today or tomorrow just yet, but one day Alexandra sees herself educating and enriching the lives of others through inspiration and knowledge.

“Do what you feel in your heart to be right- for you’ll be criticized anyway. You’ll be damned if you do, and damned if                                                       you don’t.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Ritika Rakshit

Ritika is from West Bengal, was born in Chennai and was raised in Thailand. She is passionate about food, coffee, people, yoga, the sun, writing, Asia and words. Ritika studies Biology and Psychology. She is interested in social change and development through the integration of knowledge, especially in the public health sector. She lives to travel the world.

“To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never, to forget.”  ― Arundhati Roy

Jump In!

We would love to have you on board with The Passion Project! There are a variety of ways in which you can contribute to the passionate movement. Send us some mail at contact@thepassionproj.org.