Board Of Directors

Aysha has been involved within her community since the age of 13 as a volunteer at her local youth centre and recently at the University of Guelph at Humber College. Her volunteer work has always surrounded education and youth development in underprivileged communities and lack resources. This has led to funding for programs she has participated in and helped design. She has been a guest speaker for the organization, For Youth Initiative, on topics related to accessing education, violence, and community issues.

Since 2010, Aysha has become a Licensed Paralegal with the Law Society of Ontario and has worked in the criminal sector of law under a former prosecutor and defence lawyer. Aysha’s career aims to advocate for inclusivity within the legal profession and bridge the gap between communities and the criminal justice system. Through her knowledge of the law from an interdisciplinary approach, Aysha has been exposed to the many perspectives of law, legal history, legal policy and how it affects ordinary people from all walks of life. Her personal experience of Law in the books vs. Law in action has catapulted her desire to inflict social change in the communities that need it the most by representing the poor, the marginalized, and the disenfranchised of our societies.

As of 2021, Aysha is a York University Alumni and a Notary Public who holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours per the Faculty of Liberal Art and Professional Studies in the Law and Society program. She accomplished this four-year degree in three years and is currently in pursuit of becoming a practicing lawyer, as she will be attending Law School overseas in her birthplace of the United Kingdom.

I grew up in the Jane & Finch community, the only place in the world that has ever truly felt like home. It shaped my values, my resilience, and my belief that adversity can produce strength. But it also exposed me to the realities of systemic barriers. Many of the friends I grew up with were smarter, more charismatic, and more resourceful than I was. In a fair world, they would have gone farther than I ever expected to go. Instead, too many were pulled into a criminal justice system that squandered their potential.

I was fortunate to have a mother who moved heaven and earth to keep me from becoming another statistic. Her sacrifices opened doors that many of my peers never had a chance to reach.

Today, I am a CPA and a Level III CFA candidate. I hope to use my experience in financial reporting and analysis to help Amadeusz marshal its resources effectively and support young people who deserve the opportunity to reclaim their futures. I am honoured to contribute to an organization whose mission speaks so deeply to the community that raised me.

Chelsea Alphonso serves on the Amadeusz Board of Directors, focusing on outreach and partnership development. She brings a strategic viewpoint shaped by her work in marketing and modernization, but what drives her involvement is much simpler. She joined the board because she wanted to be part of an organization that shows up for young people in a real way and creates opportunities that matter. The work Amadeusz does in education, case management, and community support aligns with her belief that communities thrive when people have access to structure, guidance, and someone in their corner.

In her role, Chelsea concentrates on expanding partnerships, strengthening outreach efforts, and helping bring forward the stories and experiences of the young people Amadeusz supports. She cares about building relationships that help the organization grow its reach and sustain its impact. Chelsea brings this same sense of purpose to her life at home as a mother of two boys and spouse to Samuel, which keeps her connected to why this work is so important.