2020-2021 ACTIVE MINDS OFFICERS
Hussain Taqi
President
Hey y'all! My name is Hussain and I'm grateful to be serving as the President of Active Minds at UTD this year! My main goal for this upcoming semester is to make UTD a safe place for anyone and everyone! Mental illness, even with its real and many times life threatening effects in our age cohort, is highly stigmatized and is a topic that’s unfairly slid under the rug. I believe we need to acknowledge the importance of our mental health, open up a dialogue to learn about the various ways mental health can deteriorate, and find ways to efficiently cope with stressful factors in our lives to stay healthy. My team and I have been working all summer to plan events for this year and we can’t wait to share them with y’all! Stay tuned to have the best semester of your life!
Just a little bit more about me: I'm a healthcare studies and psychology major applying for dental school as we speak!! As seen in my last picture my quarantine stress relief was my cat!🐈 Quarantine has actually been the busiest couple months in my entire life, but I’m thankful for the many experiences and growth it brought me! I hope to keep working and to continue being inspired by everyone around me to make this world a better place!
“Praying for a world I close my eyes to see”🙏🏼
Feel free to reach out to me with any questions or even just to say hi! Would love to hear from y’all!
Emad Sidiqi
Vice President of Operations
Hello everyone, my name is Emad and I’ll be your Vice President of Operations this semester! I’m going to be a senior this fall and I’m on the Pre-med track hoping to apply to medical school at the end of the year. I’m really into go-karting, table tennis, and riffing on terrible movies with friends. Instead of just telling you to “get over it” I really want to establish a dialogue about mental health since it is just as important as physical health. I really believe that with the help of my fellow officers that we can help reduce stigma around mental health and give people the freedom to open up about their issues and seek help without judgement.
“The funny thing is, when you start to feel happy alone, that’s when everyone decides to be with you.” - Jim Carrey
Shreya Balamurali
Vice President of Advertising and Marketing
Hey y'all! I'm Shreya and I am so thrilled to serve you guys as the Vice President of Marketing! I'm a neuroscience major minoring in psychology with a passion for education, womens' rights, healthcare and writing. One thing that's been keeping me going through quarantine is writing opinion pieces, looking up Spongebob memes and re-watching my favorite shows (noine noine anyone?) My journey with mental health began freshman year of college when I felt more comfortable sharing my experiences with anxiety. Active Minds has given me a fresh new perspective on what it means to open up the conversation regarding mental health, and connected to me my good friends. Keep on going, the journey is hard but the friendships you make throughout the way are worth it. As Avatar Roku said, "Some friendships are so strong, they can transcend lifetimes."
Bryant Karenson
Outreach Coordinator
Hello! I’m Bryant and I’ll be your Outreach Coordinator this year! I am a neuroscience and psychology double major and I enjoy reading, writing and engaging with music! I had a hard time coming to terms with my own struggles because I was too scared of being a burden to others. However, this organization has given me an opportunity to learn and grow through our shared experiences, and I’m very excited to continue learning with others throughout this school year!
Matebah Iqbal
Secretary
Hey everyone! My name is Matebah and I’ll be your Secretary this year! I am a rising senior who is a biology major on the pre-Med track and I enjoy photography, astronomy, and archery! I strive to create a welcoming and accepting environment for everyone in my life and hope to continue that through Active Minds. Having a safe space is important so that one feels heard and can be supported through hardships and I hope to help continue making Active Minds a safe space for others and contribute to breaking the stigma around mental health. I look forward to this year and meeting you all!
Joshua Thomas
Treasurer
Heyo!! I’m Josh and I’m super excited to serve as your Treasurer! I found Active Minds earlier this year and I already love the people and the great things this organization does, so let’s keep that momentum going! I’m a sophomore biochemistry major on the path to med school, but I’m also interested in research and education. If you ever want to talk music, sports, or you just need a friend, I’m all ears! My journey through mental health is honestly just beginning, and I’m going to embrace it in all of the good and the not so good. This quote from a Reddit post has helped me to do just that each day: “Everything has changed, and yet, I am more me than ever before.” I can’t wait to meet everyone and make this year full of growth for all of us!
Rida Mahmood
Fundraising Coordinator
Hey guys! My name’s Rida Mahmood. I’m so excited and honoured to be your Fundraising Coordinator this year! I’m a junior majoring in Healthcare Management and minoring in Marketing. I am from Toronto, Canada and I’ve been in TX for the past four years. One of my biggest passions and source of happiness is traveling. I have always tried my best to stay positive no matter the hardship I face and strive to radiate that positivity to those around me. A quote that keeps me going is: “Someday, everything will make perfect sense. So for now, laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears, be strong, and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason” 〜 John Mayer. Through Active Minds, I hope I can continue to spread positivity and happiness as well as help anyone facing any issues by ensuring that this wonderful team is a trustworthy source to share anything with.
Amruta Viswanath
Volunteer Coordinator
Hi everyone! I’m Amruta, and I’m your volunteer coordinator for this year! I’m super excited to organize events for you all that are enjoyable, despite the pandemic! I’m a junior double majoring in psychology and child learning and development, and one of my biggest things I do is probably psycho-analyze every character more than needed. I also love making playlists, it’s one of my favorite pastimes. A quote that keeps me going is “you’re worth more than what you can give to other people, you deserve love too,” because a lot of the time, that’s easy for me to forget and it’s easy to devote my energy to caring about how all my friends are doing, and forget to worry about how I’m doing. I’m super excited to work with you all and host events this year!
Medha Somisetty
Event Coordinator
Hey guys, I’m Medha and I’ll be your Event Coordinator this year! I am a Neuroscience major and pre-med student, and in my free time I love taking pictures and binge-watching new TV shows (send me your recs!). The following quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson is one of my favorites: “I shall pass this way but once; any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now.” As a mental health advocate I am an avid proponent of open discussions about mental health that are free of judgment. Active Minds is a safe space for anyone who needs it, and I am excited to be a part of the team!
Merry Wang
Historian
Hey guys! I’m Merry and I’ll be your Historian this year! I’m a pre-med junior majoring in Biochemistry and I love playing the flute and creating oddly-specific memes during text conversations. I also love listening to K-pop while doing work, and went to the NCT concert when they came to Dallas last summer. An excerpt from a poem I recently enjoyed reading: “The number of hours we have together is actually not so large. Please linger near the door uncomfortably instead of just leaving. Please forget your scarf in my life and come back for it later.” (“For M” by Mikko Harvey). I’m excited to work with you all to continue creating a safe, uplifting atmosphere through Active Minds. I'll do my best to keep the website updated with our events, so make sure to check back often!
Soha Mohiuddin
Social Media Coordinator
Hello hello, everyone. The name’s Soha Mohiuddin, and I’m honored to be the social media coordinator for my final year at UTD. I’m a Bio major who’s on the pre-med track. I enjoy doing all types of art/baking and possibly making videos about them to. My quickest ways to distress are to read supplications and to watch cartoons/comedy related stuff. Throughout the years I’ve slowly opened up to discussions around mental health/illness and Active Minds has been a great club to provide that open space for me and everyone else. “Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.” ~ Shannon L. Alder
Aryela Jules
Education Advocacy Chair
Hi everyone! I'm Aryela, and I'm the Education Advocacy Chair. I'll be researching the topics for the meetings as well as posting blogs! My journey with mental health started when I was 14, and I've slowly started to open up about my struggles. I found Active Minds last semester, and loved their mission and the welcoming environment. I'm a Neuroscience major, on the pre-med track, with a passion for research and mental health awareness and education. In my spare time, I take way too many pictures of my cat, Oreo, work at In-N-Out, and work as a PCT at Baylor. As Albus Dumbledore once said "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light."