Yonah Martin (born April 11, 1965) is a Conservative Senator from British Columbia. She was appointed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and is the first Canadian of Korean descent to serve in the Senate of Canada.
A professional educator for over twenty-one years, Yonah Martin graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1987 and taught English and Drama at W.J. Mouat Secondary School in Abbotsford, BC from 1987-2001. She earned a Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction in 1996. After leaving Abbotsford in 2001, she went on to teach at Burnaby South Secondary School (2001); Moody (2001-2004), Scott Creek (2004-2005) and Banting Middle Schools (2005-2008) until her Senate appointment, effective January 2, 2009.
Born in Seoul, Korea, Yonah Martin immigrated to Canada with her family in 1972, settling in Vancouver. With deep roots in both Korean and Canadian heritage, she became a community activist with a desire to bridge cultural gaps that create silos; and in her pursuit to “bridge communities”, she co-founded a non-profit organization, the Corean Canadian Coactive (C3) Society in 2003.
Yonah Martin currently serves on several boards and committees. She has served on the Multicultural Advisory Council of BC since 2006; and is a honourary board member of the SAGE Foundation whose mission is to build a better community through the recognition of excellence in Community Service, Leadership or Multiculturalism. She is a proud alumnae and honorary patron of the St. Patrick Regional Secondary School Concert and Chamber Choirs; and continues to lead the children’s worship service at the Korean United Church on Sundays, something she has done for decades.
In addition to being a community activist and strong advocate of arts and culture, Yonah Martin is equally passionate about mentoring youth and young adults. She is a mentor of the Executive Mentorship Program of UBC’s Sauder School of Business and Equal Voice; and has mentored young leaders to pursue their goals and launch their own initiatives.
In recognition of her community service in the Tri-Cities area, Yonah Martin was awarded the 2004 Spirit of Community Award for Cultural Harmony. Additionally, she was awarded the Order of Civil Merit Moran Medal on October 9th, 2009 by the Republic of Korea for her leadership and outstanding work in national development towards the enhancement of the rights of overseas Koreans.
She has been married to Doug Martin since 1990 and they are proud parents of their daughter, Kiana Mi-Sun.