Her Story
One Suitcase. A Whole Community.
The journey of Alasoba Kelsy-Braide — from international student to one of Simcoe County’s most beloved community leaders.
Arriving With Nothing but Determination
In 2017, Alasoba Kelsy-Braide left Nigeria for Canada as an international student, bringing her two young children and very little else. She enrolled in the Child and Youth Care program at Georgian College’s Orillia campus and graduated with the class of 2020 — all while raising a family in a country where she began knowing no one.
Rather than simply settle in, Alasoba threw herself into building the community she wished had been waiting for her. She was elected Vice President of Community Engagement for the Georgian College Students’ Association, where she organized the campus’s first-ever Black History Awareness Week, and volunteered across Orillia to help lift others up.
2021: A Movement Begins
Alasoba noticed a real gap — Black families in Orillia had few places to connect, share resources, or celebrate their heritage. So she started a simple online group. It grew, and grew, until it became the Orillia & Area Black Community Association: a welcoming home where families find friendship, support, and pride in who they are.
Nigerian · Canadian
Two Homes, One Heart
NIGERIA
Her roots❤
CANADA
Her home
Born in Nigeria and proudly Canadian, Alasoba carries both cultures with her — weaving the warmth, heritage, and resilience of home into everything she builds in Simcoe County.
The Journey
A Timeline of Impact
Every milestone reflects the same belief: that everyone deserves to feel they belong.
- 2017 — Arrives in Canada from Nigeria with her two children
- 2020 — Graduates from Georgian College’s Child and Youth Care program
- Elected VP of Community Engagement; leads the first Black History Awareness Week at the Orillia campus
- 2021 — Founds the Orillia & Area Black Community Association
- 2022 — Receives the County of Simcoe Community Champion Award
- Co-founds Orillia’s EDI Development Group and serves on the board of Making Change
What Drives Her
Belonging
Making sure every newcomer and family has a place to call their own.
Family
Building networks of support where children and parents thrive.
Heritage
Celebrating Black culture with pride, joy, and visibility.
Service
Giving back with the same generosity that once welcomed her.
Along the Journey
Photos from Alasoba’s path — study, service, and celebration.
