Educate. Empower. Elevate.
The Newcomer.ca is an educational repository for newcomers providing how-to guides, informative articles, stories, resources, and services. Our mission is to educate, empower, and elevate new immigrants through information, advising, and entertainment.
The Newcomer seeks to convey reliable, relevant, and up to date information on various topics, including life in Canada, education, employment, and business, among others, to support new immigrants throughout their journey to Canada. We hope to provide newcomers with the information and resources necessary to help them succeed anywhere in the country.
Our Team

Helia Mokhber
She/her
Managing Editor
Helia graduated from McGill University where she studied Political Science and Psychology. She has worked with numerous publications including MJPS and Catalyst. When she’s not editing or writing, she’s either taking care of her plants, looking for new records to buy, or trying out different recipes.

Cooper Barron
He/Him
Contributing Editor
Cooper is an obsessive fan of of poetry. When he’s not writing or editing his or others’ work, he is likely playing strategy games, Dungeons & Dragons, or tinkering with online ARGs. He dreams of getting an MFA and having a career in editing (if writing doesn’t work out!).

Athena Bucci
She/her
Copy Editor
Athena is an aspiring writer and editor, born and raised in Toronto. She loves traveling and exploring new places, always on the go! When she’s not working or exploring, you can find her deep into her books, hoping to finally achieve her annual Goodreads Challenge, and attempting to beat her writer’s block and finish those projects.

Tara Sottile
She/Her
Social Media Coordinator
Tara is the Social Media Coordinator for The Newcomer. When she’s not working she’s hiking, cooking, planning her future travels or buying records for her collection. One movie you’ll always find her watching is Mamma Mia – she can recite that movie backwards and forwards.

Mehak Bedi
She/Her
Web Developer
Mehak is the Web Developer for the Newcomer. When she is not deep into some coding problem, Mehak is an inspiring coffee addict who always enjoys a good book.

Brett McDonald-Curtis
He/Him
Graphic Designer
Brett Curtis is recent grad of graphic design; his eye for layout and colour help to bring an illustrative flair to his work. Listens to a wide range of music and likes to read history.

Vincent Tran
He/Him
Writer
Vincent is a writer and is close to completing his degree in journalism. He is obsessed with all things sports related and follows almost every sport, with his favourites being soccer and basketball. He is also big into entertainment and spends much of his free time playing video games, watching movies, TV shows or YouTube videos, or listening to all sorts of music.

Vivian Nguyen
She/Her
Writer
Vivian is a Bachelors of Arts graduate in English and Diaspora and Transnational Studies from the University of Toronto. She is pro-pineapple on pizza and believes that the greatest teachers in life are children. When she is not writing or planning something, she is either gaming with her friends, watching video essays, or adding yet another movie or show to her endless “to-watch” list.

Callum Denault
He/Him
Writer
Callum started studying journalism at the Toronto Metropolitan University in 2020. Pursuing a passion for writing, he wanted to become a journalist to tell the stories of people who needed to be heard, and write articles that help the people who read them in some way. In his spare time, Callum maintains his interests in basketball, martial arts, science and multiplayer video games.
Alisa Samuel
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Writer
Alisa Samuel is a student in the Professional Writing and Communication major program at the University of Toronto Mississauga. When Alisa isn’t writing, she’s probably reading historical nonfiction, ugly-crying over a sad K-drama, or dreaming of places far, far away. One of her goals is to intern at an ecological farm and then write about the homestead experience.
Anson Wong
He/Him
Writer
Anson is passionate in writing and editing. He loves interviewing and being able to get to the core of a story. Otherwise, he loves reading and watching both good and bad movies and books to see what makes them work.
Elie Ngoy
He/Him
Writer
Elie is a great lover of film, travel, human rights and photo journalism. He has 8 years of experience in nonprofit communications and is currently studying Law.
Clayton Tomlinson
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Creative Editor
Clayton enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with friends and family.