Recognizing Jenisha Arora on International Youth Day

Jenisha has made an extraordinary impact on the Peterborough community through her compassion, leadership, and unwavering commitment to helping others. She was recognized for her community involvement through the Iain Steele Leadership Award, the 2025 Barrier Buster Award, and the City of Peterborough’s 2025 Civic Award as Youth Volunteer of the Year. Jenisha states that the recognition has been incredibly meaningful to her, but what matters most is knowing that the work she has done has made someone’s journey a little easier. 

“I was born and brought up in India, where I was a diligent student throughout my school years and had the opportunity to be a school topper. From a young age, I was also very connected to my community and believed that education and opportunities could make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.”

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From an early age, Jenisha has felt strongly connected to her community and believed that education and opportunity could transform lives. Before coming to Canada, Jenisha volunteered with various organizations that support research, education and career opportunities for children, youth, and women. These organizations include Childo Education Research and Development Foundation and the Young Volunteer’s Organization. Through these experiences, she has learned the importance of community service.

“Volunteering also taught me that leadership isn't always about being the person in front of a room. Sometimes, leadership is checking in on someone who is struggling, helping someone find the right resource, listening without judgment, or simply making a new student feel like they belong.”

In 2023, Jenisha came to Canada to pursue her childhood dream of studying abroad. She began studying Business at Fleming College, arriving alone and knowing no one. As an international student, Jenisha had to navigate a new culture, climate, education system, and way of life while building a support network from scratch. Balancing academics, finances, employment, and personal wellbeing was a challenge, but these experiences also helped her understand the struggles many other students faced. With this in mind, Jenisha developed a passion to support her fellow students in navigating their new life. She became involved at Fleming and was able to land roles such as library assistant, peer mentor, member of the student administrative council, and eventually became an international student service assistant. Through these experiences, Jenisha was able to support students as they adjusted to life in Canada, connecting them with resources that can help navigate their academic and personal challenges. 

Jenisha emphasizes that making a difference does not always require a grand gesture, sometimes, simply listening, offering guidance, or helping someone feel understood can have a lasting impact. Through volunteering, Jenisha has been able to strengthen her empathy, patience, leadership, communication skills, and ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds. It has also changed how she defined success which can also mean using your experiences and abilities to make someone else’s journey a little easier.

“Being able to support these students through my volunteering and my involvement at Fleming has been incredibly meaningful. Seeing a student who was once nervous and unsure eventually become confident, make friends, succeed academically, and feel at home in the community is one of the most rewarding things I have experienced. It reminded me of my own journey and made me realize how important it is to have someone who believes in you when you're starting from scratch.”

Looking ahead, Jenisha hopes to continue supporting youth, newcomers, and international students. Her journey has shown that community can completely change a person’s experience. She hopes that her story encourages others, especially young people and newcomers, to recognize that they do not need a title or years of experience to make a difference. Small and consistent acts of service can create a ripple effect, helping others feel welcomed, connected, confident, and empowered.

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