Meet the BYTE team!
Casey Albert
Executive Director
“I am passionate about empowering youth because so many adults have impacted my life and I am simply returning the favour for the next generation. Youth also have the power to keep our minds open to new ideas and ways, which keeps us wanting to improve.“
Casey (she/her) values teamwork and empowerment and brings enthusiasm everywhere she goes. Casey was born and raised in Quebec City, but she now calls Whitehorse her home since summer of 2019. When Casey is not working, she practices her Yogi moves and hangs out with her dog Benji.
Get in touch with Casey at ed@nullyukonyouth.com.
Sam McKay
Communications and Events Manager
“I am passionate about empowering youth because they are leaders, change makers, and advocates in their own right. When given the support, knowledge, and space to ask questions and share ideas, youth can thrive as individuals and strive for change in their communities.'”
As Communications and Events Manager, Sam (she/her) manages BYTE’s external communications, supervises project coordinators for annual events, and co-designs and co-facilitates BYTE’s experiential workshops. She is responsible for outreach in the Northwest Territories’ Beaufort Delta region, as well as Carcross, Mayo, Old Crow, and Pelly Crossing. In her spare time, you can find her baking cookies, crafting, or walking her dog, Sheeni.
Get in touch with Sam at samantha@nullyukonyouth.com.
Kylee Fernandes
Community Outreach Coordinator
“I am passionate about empowering youth because they are creative, intelligent and hold incredibly unique mindsets. I believe that youth, given the platform and support needed, with their inspiring stories and meaningful opinions, fuel society to want to do better and push us towards a future with positive change.”
Kylee (she/her) has been deeply involved with dance and movement since she was little. Being raised in the Yukon, she grew up twirling and leaping through the forests to keep herself smiling. Mental health awareness holds a big place in Kylee’s heart and she is always eager to immerse herself in learning to gain more skills. As a new Community Outreach Coordinator, Kylee will be facilitating workshops and communicating with Dawson City, Haines Junction, Carmacks, Faro and Ross River. When not at work she keeps busy by creating, moving, baking, and spending time with her pets and family.
Get in touch with Kylee at kylee@nullyukonyouth.com.
Emily Ross
Community Outreach Coordinator
“I am passionate about empowering youth because young people are innovators and change-makers. Youth are using their vision and imagination to lead the fight for a just and sustainable future, and we need to uplift and support them in whatever ways we can.”
Emily (she/her) is a settler of British, Danish, and Dutch descent born and raised on the territories of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council (Whitehorse, Yukon). She is passionate about the power of education and community care to address complex issues and build imaginative futures. Emily previously coordinated the Yukon Youth Panel on Climate Change at BYTE, and is excited to continue connecting with youth as a Community Outreach Coordinator. When she isn’t working at BYTE or on new projects, you can find her wandering in the woods, reading a book, or attempting (sometimes successfully) to knit socks).
Get in touch with Emily at emily@nullyukonyouth.com.
Sarah MacNeil
Northern Youth Want Coordinator
“I am passionate about empowering youth because they are the future. The world will soon be in their hands, and supporting them along the way can only make it better. They are the most insightful, curious and powerful generation, if given the support and opportunities they deserve. I want them to have everything they need to drive society to a better future.“
Sarah (she/her) has been involved with sports her whole life, mainly hockey and skiing. As the Northern Youth Want Coordinator, she is excited to work across the North and advocate for all youth. Her project will have a focus on Mental Health, a broad topic which she hopes to approach from many different ways, including sports and recreation. She has lived in Nova Scotia her whole life, and moved to Whitehorse in Fall 2022 for a fresh start after university. When she isn’t working, she is exploring all that the North has to offer, likely on skis or skates.
Get in touch with Sarah at sarah@nullyukonyouth.com.
Tugugin Swan
Youth Program Assistant
“I am passionate about empowering youth because many times as youth, our dreams of the future are bigger than the outcome. With the right amount of love and support, I think youth can overcome anything. The world runs in cycles, and if we prepare them for any possibility, they will be able to overcome whatever part of the cycle they may see and experience. This way, no future is too big or no future is too small for them. They are divine.
“We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.”
As Youth Program Assistant, Tugugin (she/her) supports the BYTE team by co-facilitating workshops and community tours. She also supports the team’s research and workshop development. Currently, she is working on updating the “This Is Our Land’ workshop. When she is not working, you can find her enjoying life to the fullest by spending time in the outdoors of Yukon, hanging out with her friends and family, crafting, rearranging her house or going on mini road trips with her camera. Tugugin was born and raised in Yukon and is a descendant of the Vuntut Gwitchin, Ojibway, Metis and Tlingit peoples. She was also adopted into the Dakl’awèdí Clan at a young age.
Get in touch with Tugugin at tugugin@nullyukonyouth.com.