The Active Minds Student Advisory Committee (SAC) is made up of fifteen 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 2023-2024 Student Advisory Committee cohort below.
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 or connect with your 2023-2024 Student Advisory Committee representative one-on-one on the Active Minds Student Slack Network starting Aug. 30.
Rachna Edalur
Pronouns: she/her/hers
School: Texas A&M University
About: Rachna is an applied mathematics major with a concentration in biological sciences at Texas A&M University. Growing up in a small east Texas area where mental health is an unspeakable topic, Rachna wants to expand the idea of openness and end the silence surrounding mental health. As a member of the SAC, Rachna hopes to create a community of acceptance and safety by uniting mental health advocates from across the country. In her free time, Rachna enjoys reading and watching reality TV (especially “Survivor”).
Adia Fadaei
Pronouns: she/her/hers
School: Point Loma Nazarene University
About: Adia Fadaei is a senior psychology major at Point Loma Nazarene University and one of the co-founders of her school’s Active Minds Chapter. She introduced the organization to her campus shortly after participating in the MTV and Biden-Harris Administration’s first Mental Health Youth Action Forum at the White House. Active Minds has been integral to her college experience; bringing individuals together premised upon authenticity and action-based support has been uniquely special. Outside of Active Minds, Adia is a crisis counselor for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, a policy advocate with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, a Rare Beauty Mental Health Ambassador for Selena Gomez’s Rare Impact Fund, an advisory board member for Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation, and a youth council member for Love is Respect. She aspires to become a clinical psychologist while engaging in continued systemic advocacy and focusing on youth mental illness and suicidology. In her free time, she loves trying new coffee shops, being in the ocean, reading books, kickboxing, and attending concerts!
Anushka Gupta
Pronouns: she/her/hers
School: New York University
About: Anushka (she/her) is a student at New York University studying psychology and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies (CAMS) on the pre-med track. As a former Active Minds SAC member, student ambassador, and current co-president of her school’s Chapter, Anushka is passionate about normalizing conversations about mental health in her community through storytelling. During her freshman year, she spoke at her campus’s TED x NYU event on “Destigmatizing Mental Health and Illness” amongst college students by sharing her own mental health journey. She also volunteers as a research assistant at the Social Cognitive Affective Neurodevelopment (SCAN) lab at NYU Lone, which aims to study the impact of the pandemic on child neurodevelopment. In her free time, Anushka enjoys exploring different cafes and bookstores around the city.
Oliver Halliwell
Pronouns: he/him/his/they/them/theirs
School: Creighton University
About: Oliver is a first-year law student studying business law and wealth management at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. In undergrad, Oliver served as vice president of Creighton’s Active Minds Chapter, where he helped plan events and initiatives on mental health advocacy. Through successful student leadership, Oliver was asked upon graduation to step in as the Interim Assistant Director of Creighton’s Violence Intervention and Prevention Center, where he oversaw all of their prevention education. Oliver’s passion for mental health is rooted in his struggle of growing up openly LGBTQ+ in rural Nebraska. He experienced bullying and harassment from his peers and his mental health suffered. Finding an affirming therapist made a huge difference in his ability to thrive. Outside of school, Oliver works as a songwriter and is restoring a 150-year-old Victorian house full of antiques, bats, and ghosts.
Naomi Hines
Pronouns: she/her/hers
School: Bowie State University
About: Naomi Hines is a sophomore at Bowie State University and a native of Prince George’s County, MD. She is majoring in psychology and has a strong passion for mental health advocacy. Her interest in Active Minds peaked after dealing with her own personal hardships with mental health. She is excited to be involved in the Active Minds SAC as she hopes to change the conversation about mental health. On campus, she is involved with clubs and organizations that serve as a platform to make a difference. Outside of school, she enjoys crafting, binge-watching shows, and having self-care Sundays!
Emma Lamoreaux
Pronouns: she/her/hers
School: Temple University
About: Emma Lamoreaux is currently in her senior year at Temple University in Philadelphia, pursuing a major in health studies alongside a minor in public health. Her unwavering passion and dedication to mental health have propelled her into her second consecutive year as the president of the university’s Active Minds chapter. After finding Active Minds during her sophomore year, Emma recognized the power of sharing stories to create impact, motivating her to contribute further by joining the Student Advisory Committee, now serving her second term. In addition to her Active Minds involvement, Emma actively participates in various campus initiatives, such as serving on Temple’s Student Mental Health Advisory Board and the board of her school’s medical journal, “CommonHealth.” As she approaches graduation, she looks forward to attending law school focusing on health law.
D’Aubre Lewis
Pronouns: she/her/hers
School: North Carolina A&T State University
About: D’Aubre Lewis is a rising sophomore at North Carolina A&T State University, majoring in psychology from Baltimore, MD. She is a youth mentor, mental health advocate, and entrepreneur who is interested in Active Minds because she wants to change the stigma surrounding mental health and how African-Americans feel about mental health and mental health resources. When she feels low and needs a reset, she enjoys reading, journaling, taking walks, meditation, yoga, and writing poetry for self-care.
Blake Matthews
Pronouns: he/him/his
School: Ithaca College
About: As a current senior at Ithaca College, majoring in psychology with a minor in counseling, and a future licensed marriage and family therapist, Blake joined Active Minds because he wholeheartedly believes in changing the conversation. He learned about Active Minds through Arizona State University and quickly became the advocacy coordinator and social media head for the 2021-2022 school year, before joining the Student Advisory Committee in 2022 and being awarded the 2023 Sue Cimbricz Spirit Award. Outside of Active Minds, Blake can be found volunteering for the Crisis Text Line, being a student advisor for Flourish Labs, working as an orientation leader, and YouTube content creator at Ithaca College, or enjoying music. He loves taking photos, traveling, knitting, and being active in his community. He is V-A-R® certified and believes that no one should be alone when they are hurting.
Emily Muench
Pronouns: she/her/hers
School: Baldwin Wallace University
About: Emily Muench is a graduate student pursuing a one-year MBA with a business analytics focus at Baldwin Wallace University. Five weeks into her first year of undergrad, she started an Active Minds Chapter on her campus. She is involved with Active Minds because of her struggles with mental health and her passion for mental health advocacy. In her free time, she enjoys painting and singing in her family band.
Zafir Naseem
Pronouns: he/him/his
School: University of Maryland
About: Zafir is a senior neuroscience major and a member of the QUEST Honors Program at the University of Maryland in College Park, MD. His passion for mental health advocacy began in high school, where, driven by the circumstances of his peers, he helped establish an Active Minds Chapter to promote mental health awareness and action-based support for students. Zafir continued his involvement with Active Minds in college, where he is currently the president of the Active Minds Chapter at the University of Maryland. Outside of Active Minds, Zafir supports children with neurobehavioral challenges and volunteers at his local emergency department. With his background in mental health awareness and program development, neuroscience, and leadership, Zafir aspires to become a psychiatrist to advance and expand mental health care services to as many people as possible. In his free time, Zafir finds pleasure soaking in the great outdoors through hiking and fishing and enjoys working on cars.
Joanna Oommen
Pronouns: she/her/hers
School: University of California, Riverside
About: Joanna is a junior at the University of California, Riverside, majoring in psychology with a minor in neuroscience. During her first year, she wanted to meet like-minded individuals passionate about mental health advocacy and eliminating mental health stigma, and so she joined her university’s Active Minds Chapter as a peer health educator. She is currently one of the Active Minds Student Directors of her Chapter. She loves seeing the joy and relief among students when creating a nonjudgmental space for them to be vulnerable, providing them with mental health educational resources, and encouraging them to seek help. On the side, she works as a Wellbeing Peer Coach who listens and works one-on-one with students to set wellness goals and connect them to campus resources. After graduating, she aspires to become a clinical psychologist who helps individuals that struggle with mental health and neurodevelopmental disorders. Outside of Active Minds, she loves any form of artmaking, especially painting, to shed light on mental health awareness.
Hannah Rabbani
Pronouns: she/her/hers
School: De Anza College
About: Hannah has consistently immersed herself in conversations centered around mental health both in her personal life and during her studies at De Anza College, where she is pursuing a degree in political economy. She facilitated workshops in high school and college, focusing on raising awareness about mental health. Additionally, she delivered a TED Talk addressing the issue of romanticizing mental illnesses. Hannah also held the position of head girl at her school, using her platform to destigmatize mental health conversations and prioritize well-being. At De Anza, she served as the college’s Active Minds Chapter president. In her leisure time, Hannah finds joy in reading, discovering new facets of the Bay Area, where she currently resides as an international student, and experimenting with various cuisines!
Zoe Tait
Pronouns: she/her/hers
School: University of California, San Diego
About: Zoe is a student majoring in cognitive behavioral neuroscience and minoring in Spanish language studies at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Zoe formerly served as an Active Minds Student Ambassador and has been involved in Active Minds since her sophomore year of high school, currently serving as the co-president of the Active Minds Chapter at UCSD. In addition to her involvement in mental health advocacy, Zoe is currently the head research assistant at the Computational Psychology & Well-Being Lab at Stanford University. Zoe is particularly interested in leveraging computational methods to understand the behavioral factors that drive well-being and mental health, and to use them to develop a new generation of effective treatments. In her free time, Zoe enjoys singing, dancing, hiking, and exploring new places around the world.
Fiona Wu
Pronouns: she/her/hers
School: Vanderbilt University
About: Fiona Wu is a rising senior at Vanderbilt University, double majoring in neuroscience and medicine, health, and society. Originally from Taipei, Taiwan, she grew up in a not-yet-mature mental health system, and her journey of caring for herself and her mother inspired her passion for mental healthcare. Most of her time is spent on clinical research for Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), anxiety traits, and child emotional development, and advocacy for youth mental health policies in Tennessee, diversity, equity, and inclusion in college, and first-generation low-income student education. She even started her own nonprofit, Beyond Taiwan. These experiences reaffirm her belief that advocacy for equality is vital for youth well-being, and she hopes to dedicate her career to studying the social determinants of mental health. During her free time, Fiona loves to travel, read, try new recipes, explore farmer’s markets, and look for the best-flavored latte in town.
Stephanie Yau
Pronouns: she/her/hers
School: University of Pittsburgh
About: Stephanie Yau is a sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh, studying neuroscience and global health on the pre-medical track. She is the Outreach Chair of her school’s Active Minds Chapter. She found a passion for mental health advocacy during the pandemic and has been looking into breaking the stigma, especially for children and teenagers. Outside of Active Minds, she is involved in many on-campus organizations including the Heinz Chapel Choir, Student Health Advisory Board, and Student Government Board. She is hoping to pursue a Masters in Public Health and go into medical school.
