2020-2021 directors BOARD

                         EXECUTIVE

 Eddie Padilla
"Active Minds provided the resources that I never knew I had while I started my first year here at UCLA. After developing proper habits to better manage my mental health from the workshops and events presented, I felt that I had to share this information with the rest of my community. Active minds brought more to me than just the knowledge and activities pertaining to mental health. It is my home away from home and I am eager to continue my journey with this organizations and its people."

                        EXECUTIVE

Julianna Mora
"Mental health is often looked down upon or seen as a low priority. I joined Active Minds to be a part of the mission to help others understand what mental health is and how important it is to take care of ones mental wellbeing. Being an advocate for mental health has shown me not only what it means to be a positive change in someone's life but what it means to be a positive change in society"

Marketing

Leela Mohan
 "Mental health is a topic that means a lot to me. As someone who has struggled with their own mental health in the past, I know how immensely important it is to have open conversation about mental health and to foster an environment in which individuals feel comfortable talking about their struggles. I joined Active Minds in order to do exactly this and work towards de-stigmatizing mental health and mental illness." 

Marketing

Katie Wilhem
"I joined Active Minds because I wanted to a part of changing the conversation about mental health on campus.  By becoming a part of Active Minds, I have found a community where I feel safe to talk about my own struggles and gain support in improving my own mental health.  I am excited to continue fighting to end the stigma."

Membership

Fiona Latifi
"I joined Active Minds because I wanted to be a part of the destigmatization of mental illness. Our club has such a supportive environment and is truly making a difference at UCLA and within the mental health community. I love Active Minds and am so thankful that I joined because of the work that we’re doing and the friendships that I’ve made."

Membership

Alexa Sass

​"Mental health has always been something that I hold close to my heart personally and professionally. Active Minds has provided me a comfortable space to talk about my strengths and challenges with mental health and learn so much more about it, all while being able to advocate for the normalization of conversations about mental health to the UCLA community at large."

EDUCATION

Rebecca Meshkani

EDUCATION

 Meera Varma
"Mental health is something that resonates with me personally as well as other individuals in my life. 1 in 5 people suffer from a mental illness. I don’t want anyone to feel like they’re fighting their mental battles alone. Advocating for mental health allows me to show people that they’re loved, supported, cared for, and never alone."

Workshops

Morgan Love
“I joined Active Minds last winter because I wanted to find an organization that focused on mental health and well-being, but also provided a sense of community - and I got just that. I’m so grateful to have found them and lucky to call our club a big happy family. I especially enjoy our social gatherings and attending other committee’s events. It’s truly inspiring to see how passionate every member is about promoting health and advocating for mental health awareness.”

Workshops

Shahan McGehee
“I am a psychology major and have personally experienced issues regarding mental health throughout my life so being an advocate for those suffering from poor mental health while finding ways to help my own is very important to me. For the last few quarters I have been able to do this as a member of Active Minds, while at the same time becoming a member of an amazing community. My goal as Workshops co-director is to provide the same experience, caring and understanding that I have received to others.”

Events

Kelly Nola
"I joined Active Minds because I wanted to be a part of a psychology club at UCLA and I found the nicest most supportive community of people in this club who all want to destigmatize mental health and ensure that the Bruin community is not just surviving this difficult campus community but thriving as well! We are all in this together :)"

events

Helen Gunn​
"I joined active minds because I wanted to be a part of destigmatizing mental health on campus, and I want to be a better ally for everyone that struggles with their mental health. I hope to normalize mental health as a topic of conversation by educating the Bruin community and showing that no one is ever alone with their mental illness."

Advocacy

Fiona Pan
"I joined Active Minds because I wanted to become more involved in promoting awareness about mental illness at UCLA. I love the safe space this club facilities for individuals to have deep discussions about mental health!" ​

Advocacy

Ahmed Mahmood
“As an out of state student from Ohio arriving in California, I felt lost. Mental health wasn’t something I was used to talking about, but Active Minds gave me an outlet to express myself and better understand how self care could change my life for the better. After participating in the Art in Mind conference as a panel member, I saw the powerful ways in which Active Minds could transform lives and the way we see mental health. I am dedicated to fighting mental health stigma across UCLA’s campus, and I am eager to be a friendly figure that my committee members can look to when they need advice or an ear.”

Outreach

Abigail Urbina
"I joined Active Minds because I wanted to help lead a movement that aims to de-stigmatize mental illness. I believe it is so important that we utilize our platforms to facilitate healthy, inclusive dialogue surrounding mental health. I love Active Minds because this chapter does an incredible job at educating others — all while simultaneously fostering a warm, welcoming environment for people of all different backgrounds."
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Outreach

Elizabeth Perez
"I joined Active Minds to challenge the existing negative narratives around mental health and break the stigma that surrounds it one conversation at a time. Not only did I deal with a lot stigma coming to terms with my own mental health challenges but saw so many people I love hurting due to the inability or refusal to face similar challenges. I’m a firm believer that we can’t heal from the things we don’t talk about. Getting involved in Active Minds was my way of validating my own experiences and learning to be transparent about them. In hopes that it’ll be easier for the next person to get the help they may need."

Finance

Bella Nadler
​"​I joined Active Minds because I wanted to be involved in mental health advocacy on campus and learn to be an active ally. Active Minds is more than a club, it is a safe space for opening the discussion about mental health and breaking mental health stigmas."

LOGISTICS

Pallavi Chandrasekar
"Being a part of this organization and the Events Committee was the first time UCLA felt like home and I felt like I had a community here. Mental health, and specifically cultural stigmas around it, has always been an issue I have cared about and working to fight it has been incredibly rewarding. I love all the friends Active Minds brought into my life and I am excited to make more this year!