Each day at Promise Partnership, our team combines our diverse backgrounds, skills and experiences to support young people in shaping their futures.
I am excited to be expanding the programming of the Promise Partnership to reach more students in Moncton! As the Program Expansion Coordinator, I am collaborating with institutions in the community to deliver programming in Moncton. My background in experiential education, youth services, and program development enables me to excel in this role.
I graduated from UNB with a Bachelor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Leadership and a Certificate in Family Violence Issues. I have several years of experience working with at-risk youth in various settings; creating and delivering impactful programming. Most recently I have worked at the post-secondary level, planning and facilitating experiential education opportunities for nursing students. My professional journey has taken me through various roles, equipping me with a strong foundation in program development and community engagement.
I specialize in experiential education and critical thinking. I am passionate about empowering tomorrow's leaders and providing students with the tools they need to succeed. I believe experiential education is essential for post-secondary students, as it plays a crucial role in shaping their careers and reinforcing their learning.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my two children and managing our hobby farm. I believe in nurturing growth, both in my community and at home.
Youth Enrichment Program Coordinator
sarah.hetherington@unb.ca
Rooted in academic experience and a heartfelt dedication to supporting young people to reach their full potential, I am focused on working alongside children and youth to best support their needs.
I hold a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Human Rights and Criminology, and in 2024, completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Education (Adult Learning, Community Development, and Youth Work). I have years of work experience in youth and children’s programming, many with at-risk young people in community settings, including several with newcomer youth.
My goal is to equip young people with the tools they need to feel empowered and lead successful futures. With my educational background in community development, I believe in the transformative power of relationship building, as many youth simply require support, care, and commitment from programs like Promise Partnership to thrive.
In my current role, I coordinate the Discovery Program, our summer long, on-campus, educational summer camps for young people, and the new Discovery evening program – both accessible, enriching programs for students grade 4-10, and which allow me to work closely with our UNB students, too.
I am also leading our High School Promise Partnership program for high schoolers in the Crescent Valley area. I feel so fortunate to be involved with the Promise Partnership programs, which provide direct and needed educational and social support to young people in Saint John’s priority neighbourhoods while also offering UNB students valuable growth opportunities.
Middle School Coordinator
noemi.horvolgyi@unb.ca
With a successful career in business, I have dedicated over a decade to my passion for special education. My expertise encompasses learning difficulties, literacy, speech and language development, and augmentative and alternative communication. I have adapted curricula for students with significant special needs and developed a program in Hungary to help youth with multiple and severe disabilities explore work opportunities.
Before relocating to New Brunswick, I supported students in elementary and high schools in an Ontario School District, helping them learn digital technology, develop and utilize learning strategies to achieve academic success and grow their independence and confidence.
As the Middle School Coordinator of Promise Partnership, I design and deliver programs for students in priority neighbourhoods. I bring over two decades of management and business skills to coordinating a group of undergraduate students mentoring their younger peers and building new skills themselves. My structured analytical approach and extensive experience with special needs students equip me to support a community of young learners facing complex challenges.
I am excited to offer our young learners engaging activities aligned with the New Brunswick Curriculum, providing students with an academic edge and helping them stay on track. My goal is to help them develop transferable skills, ignite their passion for knowledge, and encourage them to explore their world.
Academic Director | Associate Professor, Faculty of Business
rmoir@unb.ca
I’m a husband and father to three great kids, and I also teach and research economics at UNB Saint John.
An interesting fact about me is that I’ve held academic-administrative roles in all three Faculties on campus. I’ve always been aware of the Promise Partnership and volunteered whenever I could. A few years ago, I became the Academic Director of the program. I love working with everyone in the program because they’re all kids - they’re all exciting, curious and eager to learn more.
This includes the big kids who run the place, the university students who mentor and the school kids who are the mentees. I passionately believe that as an institution, UNB gets more from the Partnership than we realize.
We change the lives of all the students we meet on both sides of the equation.
Administration and Leadership | Curriculum Developer and Researcher
kate.g.saeedi@unb.ca
I am an education professional and researcher with a strong passion for combining education and technology. I hold a Master’s Degree in Education (Leadership and Administration) and a Master’s Degree in Linguistics, which provide a solid foundation for my current work.
My career includes experience in international education and leadership, as well as work with the Provincial Government of New Brunswick's Centres of Excellence. I have a background in research, data analysis, student advising, and course planning in multicultural settings and I am fluent in three languages.
In my current role, I am designing a technology curriculum for our Promise Partnership K-12 program, making sure it aligns with the provincial curriculum and the New Brunswick Digital Literacy Framework.
My research focuses on Emotional Intelligence, Multilingualism in children, and how technology can positively impact students from disadvantaged backgrounds. These areas drive my commitment to ongoing learning and professional growth.
I am also involved in research with the Promise Partnership, working to improve educational opportunities for students. I believe that combining technology with education is key to a successful future, and I am dedicated to helping the next generation gain the skills they need to succeed.
Managing Director Promise Partnership
cat.kerr@unb.ca
I am a committed professional who values life-long learning, equity, and the transformative potential of innovation, technology, and experiential education. As Managing Director of Promise Partnership at IHI, I lead initiatives that advance educational equity and community engagement.
In 2023, I oversaw the Discovery Program at UNB Saint John, focusing on curriculum development, instructor management, and integrating digital literacy and technology into education.
With nearly three decades of experience as an elementary teacher, primarily in grades 7-8 and special education, I have also held various leadership roles, including vice-principal, and worked at Sagonaska Provincial School for students with severe learning disabilities.
I hold a Master of Education in Technology and Education and have received awards such as the President’s Award from the Kawartha Pine Ridge Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (2021) and the Cobourg Distinguished Civic Awards for Education & Technology (2019).
I am incredibly proud of the Promise Partnership team and their dedication to empowering youth in poverty. Our team works tirelessly to create meaningful growth and learning opportunities, building a stronger, brighter future for our community.
Education Coordinator
Kaleigh.Wadden@unb.ca
I am deeply excited to join the Promise Partnership team as the Education Coordinator. In my earliest academic experiences, I was a student highly involved in shaping student experience and advocating for student rights. This continued in my professional career where I have both (1) worked with pre-school aged youth in 1:1 coaching focused on strengthening social skills, and (2) facilitated neurodiverse affirming, recreational group programming for youth ages 8-15.
With an academic background in psychology and social work, I am highly curious and invested in understanding the needs of youth facing systemic barriers, the impacts they must navigate because of these structural realities, and in-turn, creating transformative environments that reduce those systemic inequalities.
In my professional term at UNB, I have had the privilege of working as a coordinator in the Office of Experiential Education where I continued to support the reduction of socioeconomic gaps through the development and delivery of work-integrated learning opportunities for students. I have seen, and personally experienced, how these educational opportunities open doors for students they did not previously have access to.
As the Education Coordinator, it is my goal and professional ethos to continue to grow and maintain the safe space for learning and social connection that the elementary school literacy program has provided for both the mentors and mentees - all towards bridging education and developmental gaps.
