With deepest condolences to all who knew and loved them, the Young Canadians Roundtable on Health (YCRH) and The Sandbox Project mourn the loss of Zeynab Asadi Lari and her brother, Mohammad Asadi Lari, who were passengers in the Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 crash.
Zeynab was a gifted fourth year biology student at the University of Toronto Mississauga. A strong mental health advocate with a passion for youth empowerment, Zeynab was working toward her dream of becoming a doctor.
Quickly after joining the Young Canadians Roundtable on Health in 2018, Zeynab became an integral part of the organization. She was much loved and highly respected by her fellow YCRH members and Sandbox staff alike. This fall, she was chosen to represent the YCRH on the CHILD Cohort Study Knowledge Mobilization Stakeholder Advisory Committee.
Zeynab frequently took time to create meaningful connections and opportunities for her peers. YCRH members from across Canada remember her as a brilliant, promising, and caring individual who was known for her fantastic ideas, her ability to think outside the box on a larger global scale, and her focus on engagement to ensure that every voice could be heard.
Many who attended the 2019 Sandbox Summit in April will recall Zeynab’s excellent work in her role as a Youth Host at the event. If you took part in the breakout discussion that she co-led, you will certainly remember her skilled and insightful facilitation on the topic of Mentorship, a subject that was central to so many of Zeynab’s accomplishments.
Zeynab contributed her exceptional talents to many initiatives, and her passion, volunteerism and collaborative spirit will be remembered by each of us who had the privilege of working with her. She was the founder and president of the U of T Mississauga branch of STEM Fellowship, an organization that Mohammad co-founded. She also served the Youth Mental Health Association, the Iran University of Medical Sciences Medical Student Association for Cancer Research, the World Health Organization and others.
In the coming months, The Sandbox Project and the YCRH will find a suitable way to honour Zeynab’s brilliant legacy. If you knew Zeynab and would like to collaborate on these discussions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
We extend our deepest sympathies to Zeynab and Mohammad’s family, friends and colleagues, and to the loved ones of all those who lost their lives in this tragedy.