Meet the 2026-2027 Active Minds Student Advisory Committee
The Active Minds Student Advisory Committee (SAC) is made up of young adult leaders who represent the Active Minds student voice nationally through media and other student forums. They also advise Active Minds national staff on student engagement, community building, program planning, Chapter engagement and management, National Conference planning, and program promotion.
Powered by youth and young adults, the SAC is an integral part of the mental health work being done by thousands of Gen Z activists across the country. We’re excited for you to “meet” our 2026-2027 Student Advisory Committee cohort below.
Kailani Goggans (she/her) is a student at Salem College studying Psychological Science & Public Health. She is deeply passionate about community care, advocacy, and wellness. On campus, she serves as President of Active Minds Salem College, Students for Reproductive Freedom, & Siblings Demand Justice. Through her work, she supports, educates, and inspires her peers to get involved in their community and use their voices. Kailani's academic and professional interests include attending medical school and obtaining her MD & master's in public health to bridge medical practice with community policy and action. In her free time, she enjoys indoor cycling, playing with her animals, and playing video games
Dionisio (Dio) Taitano-Samora (he/they) is a student at Colorado State University Pueblo majoring in Public Health with minors in Spanish and Leadership Studies. He strives to utilize his experience as a first-generation Chicano-CHamoru student and his background with advocacy organizations, such as Young Invincibles and The Hub for Youth Centered Engagement, to create a more just education system for students of color. As of now, he also serves on Young Invincibles’ Youth Advisory Board for Colorado to advance policies that support young adults' mental health, access to healthcare, and the workforce. In the future, he aims to conduct research on access to STEM education and its connection to public health to advocate for health equity. Outside of academics, he enjoys hiking, trying new recipes, and language learning.
Rhea Makkuni (she/her) is a student at Johns Hopkins University studying Molecular and Cellular Biology and Computer Science. She conducts research in the PALS Lab at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, applying artificial intelligence to the study of mood disorders. On campus, she serves as President of the Johns Hopkins chapter of Active Minds, where she leads local, community-based mental-health efforts that offer insight into global mental-health challenges, including limited continuity of care, fragmented systems, stigma, and barriers to navigating available resources. In her free time, Rhea enjoys biking, chatting nonstop with her friends, singing, and dancing!
Amy Senkerik (she/her) is a student at Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University, majoring in Biological Science and in Global Health with a certificate in Evolutionary Medicine. She is deeply passionate about advocacy, suicide prevention, mental health, and public health. On campus, she works closely with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and on the outreach team for ASU’s Counseling Services. Last year, she was in the Active Minds Mental Health Advocacy Institute and spoke at the Active Minds Congressional Briefing in May.
In addition to mental health advocacy, she leads the Refugee Education and Clinic Team, works as an Emergency Medical Technician, and conducts cancer-neuroscience research at the Mayo Clinic and Cedars-Sinai. She has interned at Harvard Medical School and as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Toronto in summer research programs. Amy has a passion for advocacy across individual, community, and systemic levels and hopes to work as a physician at the intersection of mental health, research, clinical practice, and policy. In her free time, Amy likes to run, rock climb, travel, and spend time with her loved ones. She ran the 2024 TCS New York City Marathon and has studied global health abroad in Australia.
Arjun Nair (he/him) is a student at Virginia Commonwealth University studying Biology in the Guaranteed Medical Admissions Program. He serves as President of Active Minds at VCU, where he works to reduce stigma surrounding mental health, introduce students to self-care practices, and strengthen student engagement in mental health advocacy. Professionally, Arjun is interested in advancing compassionate care and support for people with substance use disorders, as well as HIV prevention within substance use treatment settings. He currently serves on the Student Advisory Board of the American Academy of HIV Medicine and is involved in research examining substance use, behavioral health, and access to HIV prevention and care. As a member of the Active Minds National Student Board, Arjun hopes to strengthen connections among campus chapters and empower youth and young adults to become mental health champions in their own communities.
Ivanna Sintes-Klein (she/her) is a student at The University of Texas at Austin majoring in Health Promotion and Behavioral Science with a minor in Health Communication. She is deeply passionate about mental health, leadership, health advocacy, and creating communities where people feel supported, heard, and empowered. At UT Austin, she is the Chapter Founder and President of Teddy Bear Hospital USA at UT, a national non-profit that uses play to help children ease the anxiety that's associated with going to the doctor while promoting health education and empathy. She also serves as a Longhorn SHARE Support Specialist, where she leads a community centered around the belief that we do not have to carry the burdens of others alone, while completing training in peer support, mental health first aid, and connecting students with resources. Ivanna was also appointed through UT Student Government as a Student Government representative on the Student Health Advisory Committee, where she is excited to contribute a student perspective to conversations surrounding campus health and mental health. Before transferring to UT Austin, Ivanna attended Texas State University, where she founded and led Bobcat C.A.R.E. (Creating Awareness, Resiliency, and Empowerment), the first mental health advocacy organization, which was named Organization of the Year during her time as President. Through these experiences, she has developed a strong passion for making mental health support more accessible and creating spaces where students feel comfortable asking for help. In her free time, she loves to play pool and write poetry.
If you have any questions about how you can work with your community’s representative in taking action for mental health, please contact chapters@activeminds.org.
