Rachel Dragas
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Occupation: Mental Health Professional, Actor, Model
Rachel Dragas is an actor, neuroscientist, published author, advocate, and award-winning mental health professional in crisis intervention. Born in Toronto to immigrant parents of Serbian and Filipina descent, she has built a career at the intersection of intellect, artistry, and advocacy.
A University of Toronto graduate with a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science specializing in Neuroscience, Rachel has worked in clinical and translational research at The Hospital for Sick Children and Toronto Western Hospital, where her research focused on ophthalmology, regenerative medicine, and stem cell therapeutics. Her research has been published in rigorous peer-reviewed scientific journals and presented at national and international conferences. Today she works full-time as a mental health professional in crisis intervention, providing frontline support to Canadians across the country.
Rachel has built and supported large scale mental health awareness and advocacy initiatives in Canada, reaching more than 30,000 people through conferences, educational workshops, and editorial work in print and digital media. Her career has moved from Conflict Resolution Advisor at the University of Toronto to Coordinator of Mental Health Initiatives and Special Projects for Canada’s largest academic division, and into program management supporting impact-driven entrepreneurs addressing critical social and environmental challenges across Canada. Her work has earned the support of leaders and wellness champions including Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, Margaret Trudeau, the Honourable Michael Wilson, and Michael Landsberg, several of whom she has interviewed for Elemental Magazine and other publications. Rachel’s academic, scientific, and community contributions have been recognized through several notable awards including the Governor General’s Award, the Gordon Cressy Leadership Award, the James Crothers Family Fellowship in Peripheral Nerve Damage, and the Unilever Graduate Fellowship in Neuroscience.
Rachel is also a trained actor and Second City alumna whose on-camera credits include Genesis, Google, Dragon’s Den, and Republic Records. She serves as Brand Ambassador for Elegance Aroma, working closely with founder Thiago Snow on his collaboration with international soccer legend Ronaldinho, as Red Carpet host for Social Club (So Club), one of Toronto’s most prestigious up and coming networking events, and as Brand Ambassador and Correspondent for Rosé Picnic, one of Toronto’s signature summer events. Her volunteer work spans healthcare, education, and accessibility: bedside support for patients and families at The Hospital for Sick Children and Toronto General Hospital, STEM workshops with Let’s Talk Science, and event coordination for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. She mentors students through the University of Toronto’s Alumni Mentorship Program and serves as a remote journalist for Project Chimps, a North American wildlife sanctuary. When she isn’t on set, on the frontlines, or at a Green Day concert, you’ll find her climbing mountains or hiking through the desert. Through the Miss Universe Canada platform, Rachel champions mental health awareness, social and environmental responsibility, and the power of women to uplift one another. She is ready to serve, inspire, and represent Canada with authenticity, intelligence, and heart. She returns in 2026 to prove intellect, artistry, and advocacy share one crown.
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What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?
I’m lucky that my passions overlap with my work: acting, media, neuroscience, mental health, and wellness. When I’m not on set or on the frontlines, I’m in the desert, chasing the next mountain.
List any special training you have had (music, art, drama, dance, etc.)
- Professionally: Clinical and translational research, conflict resolution, and crisis intervention
- Creatively: The Second City’s acting and improv comedy programs, with a live performance at the John Candy Box Theatre and on-camera credits including Genesis, Google, Dragon’s Den, and Republic Record
In what sports, if any, have you participated?
Skating, tennis, and hockey on a recreational level over the years. Last year I ran my first 10K, and these days I’m most often found on a trail or a desert mountain.
Name one person, other than your parents, who has had the most influence on your life. Why?
Princess Diana. She led with courage, heart, and purpose, used her platform to break stigmas, and gave voice to the unheard. That’s the kind of public service I aspire to.
What is your proudest personal accomplishment (other than participating in this pageant)?
Two things, side by side: the research I contributed in ophthalmology and stem cell therapeutics for people living with central nervous system injuries, and the mental health advocacy work that has reached more than 30,000 Canadians. Both prove the same thing: a woman doesn’t have to choose one lane to make lasting change.
What is the most interesting or unique thing that has ever happened to you and/or what is the most interesting thing about you?
Most people are surprised to learn that a neuroscientist also trained in improv comedy at The Second City. My whole career has been an unusual thing. I’ve spent my life refusing to choose between science and the arts, and the unexpected becomes possible the moment you stop asking permission.
What is your career ambition and what are you doing or plan to do to accomplish that goal?
To keep scaling the work I’m doing on every front: acting, neuroscience, mental health leadership, and advocacy. The goal isn’t to add more roles. It’s to make a bigger impact in each one and prove that intellect, artistry, and advocacy can share one platform.
What would be your “dream job” in life?
I’m already living it. Acting and media on one side, mental health leadership and advocacy on the other. The dream now is to scale every part of it into something that reaches farther.
Describe where you were raised and what your childhood was like.
Toronto, Ontario, raised by immigrant parents of Serbian and Filipina descent. I didn’t come from advantaged beginnings, and I was usually the “weird kid” in high school who didn’t quite fit any one group. I was drawn to both science and the arts from the start. The trajectory I’m on now is the version of that kid who stopped trying to choose.
List any interesting or unusual jobs you may have had.
Barista, usher, sales associate, project manager, conflict resolution advisor, researcher, facilitator, public speaker, model, and actor. The ironic part: as an actor, I now get to play a lot of those same roles on set.
List any volunteering you have done.
My volunteer work spans healthcare, education, and accessibility; Bedside support for patients and families at The Hospital for Sick Children and Toronto General Hospital. STEM workshops with Let’s Talk Science. Event coordination for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. Mentorship through the University of Toronto’s Alumni Mentorship Program. Remote journalism for Project Chimps, a North American wildlife sanctuary.
What is your most unusual talent?
Reading a room and adapting in real time. Improv training taught me to listen first, meet people where they are, and bring the right energy to whatever moment I’m in, sometimes serious, sometimes light.
Where is the most interesting place you have been to?
Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park. It was one of my first hikes, and I’m glad I didn’t know how tricky it was until I finished it. That’s been a recurring theme in my life: take on the climb first, learn the difficulty later.
What do you hope to be doing in ten years?
More of what I’m doing now, but with global reach. On screen, working with directors I respect. Off screen, leading mental health initiatives that scale beyond Canada. And using whatever platform I’ve earned to create change that outlasts the headline cycle.
Is there anything you would like to add that we haven’t asked?
Memento mori. It’s a Latin phrase and stoic philosophy I keep at the centre of everything I do: a reminder that life is both fragile and a gift. Marcus Aurelius wrote, “You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.” I try to live by that.