2021-2022 ACTIVE MINDS OFFICERS
Shreya Balamurali
President
Hey, y'all! I'm Shreya and I am so thrilled to serve you guys as President! 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 rewatching 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."
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Aryela Jules
Vice President of Events
Hi everyone! I’m Aryela and I’ll be your Vice President of Operations this year! I’m excited to plan new events for everyone, as we transition back to in person events! I’m a senior neuroscience major on the pre-med track. In my spare time, I love hiking and exploring new coffee shops. One of my favorite quotes is “Happiness can be found in even the darkest of times, if one remembers to turn on the light.”
Merry Wang
Vice President of Advertising and Marketing
Hey y’all! I’m Merry and I’ll be VP of Marketing this year. I can’t wait to show y’all the new ideas we have planned for our social media. I’m a senior pre-med biochemistry major, and in my free time I enjoy listening to K-pop, drinking coffee, and taking photos. College is tough, and I hope you guys will join us at our events to destress and open up about things that might be on your mind.
A quote that I enjoy:
“I really like you, Midori. A lot.”
“How much is a lot?”
“Like a spring bear,” I said.
“A spring bear?” Midori looked up again. “What’s that all about? A spring bear.”
“You’re walking through a field all by yourself one day in spring, and this sweet little bear cub with velvet fur and shiny little eyes comes walking along. And he says to you, “Hi, there, little lady. Want to tumble with me?’ So you and the bear cub spend the whole day in each other’s arms, tumbling down this clover-covered hill. Nice, huh?”
“Yeah. Really nice.”
“That’s how much I like you.”
Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood
Joshua Thomas
Outreach Coordinator
Hey everyone! My name is Josh and I’m proud to serve as this year’s Outreach Coordinator! I am a rising junior neuroscience major on the pre-med track and I love all things music, sports, thrifting, and more. One of my recent favorite quotes/lines is actually from Winnie the Pooh:
Pooh: What day is it?
Piglet: It’s today
Pooh: My favorite day
Through Active Minds, I hope we can continue to foster a friendly and inclusive space for people of all walks of life to come together. I’m so blessed to be part of this community and I’m excited to get back in-person and see everyone!
Megha Ghosh
Secretary
Helow! I am Megha, a biochemistry junior, and the first thing you should know about me is that I love the beauty of people/humanity. Taking the time out of our own lives to further someone else's memories or love is something we should all cherish and express. Personally, I absolutely love poetry and philosophy because there's something about a meaning out of them that help a lifetime. In my freetime, I enjoy exploring on my own, pc gaming, talking and laughing with loved ones and most importantly living in the moment. I hope that my position as secretary will hopefully bring more impact to us and the community!
Yaseen Khalilullah
Treasurer
Hey yall!! I’m Yaseen and I am happy to serve as Treasurer this year! I’m a junior neuroscience major on the path to med school, with high interest in research and healthcare. Mental health has been a crazy journey with ups and downs in life but all in all mostly good. If you guys ever want to talk to someone I am there for you! I’m looking forward to being a part of active minds as your Treasurer!
Sana Ismail
Fundraising Coordinator
Hello Everyone! My name's Sana Ismail and I'm a senior majoring in psychology & CLDP on the pre-med track. In my free time, I love catching up with friends, going on long drives, and watching Netflix (currently watching criminal minds). I also love to bake! I am very passionate about mental health and destigmatizing it from our communities, and I'm looking forward to having more open conversations about it through Active Minds. Can't wait to meet everyone!
"You'll face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated" - Maya Angelou.
Tania Bijili
Volunteer Coordinator
Hey guys!! My name is Tania Bijili, a junior majoring in Healthcare Studies⚕️.I am also the Volunteer Coordinator of the Active Minds this year. I love to dance (bollywood fusion), a definite foodie (p.s. if you ever wanna try new places hit me up😋), when i get time I like to take walks. I am passionate about mental health and my hobbies are what help me be more relaxed, especially being in nature. Honestly for the longest time I didn’t really realize I was struggling with mental health, just cause I wasn’t aware or just not really paying attention at the time. Over time, especially as freshman year started, I became more aware of mental health and struggled with it like many other people. Active Minds helps in terms of creating a safe space for people and having a community. This club helps to bring awareness. Can’t wait to meet everyone and see y’all in person 😄
Amruta Viswanath
Event Coordinator
Hi everyone! I’m Amruta, and I’m your event coordinator for this year! I’m super excited to organize events for you all that are enjoyable, especially returning back to campus and in person classes. My goal is to make this semester as exciting as possible and fun-filled! I’m a senior double majoring in psychology and child learning and development, and one of my favorite things to do is to spend time with my friends and watch TV. A quote that keeps me going is "I'm choosing to stand up, to become a part of something bigger. I really do believe that together we can accomplish anything.” Because I do believe that we are stronger together as a community, and if we all band together, we can make a lot of changes and impact throughout the world.
Jyostna Thanjavur
Historian
Hii, I'm Jyostna and I'll be your Historian this year! I'm really excited to be a part of Active Minds and take great photographs of events. I'm a junior majoring in ITS and minoring in innovation and entrepreneurship and I'm super passionate about mental health. Other than this, I love playing the guitar, baking and watching K-dramas. I try to stay persistent and positive despite the negative outcomes and strive to work harder. A quote that keeps me going is "As I look back on my life, I realize that every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being redirected to something better." - Dr. Steve Maraboli. Active Minds is a safe space for any kind of mental health illnesses or if you just need someone you talk to, we are here!!! I'll do my best to keep up my position.
Pooja Thakor
Social Media Coordinator
Hey y’all! My name is Pooja (she/they) and I’ll be this year’s Social Media Coordinator! I’m a senior Psychology major and will be continuing my education as an Applied Cognition and Neuroscience graduate student at UTD! My journey with mental health has been rocky- I’ve struggled with anxiety, ADHD, and other mental illnesses for as long as I can remember, and I’ve only just begun my journey to self recovery. The community this club holds for its members is so warm and welcoming, and it helped me open up about my experience with mental health!! It’s a difficult path for everyone, and if you ever need a friend to talk to I’m always here <3
In my free time, I run a small Etsy shop where I make and sell stickers, and work as a DoorDash driver whenever I have the chance! I love art, video games, cooking, and finding new music to listen to (if anyone has any music recommendations send them my way!!). Good luck to everyone for the new semester, so excited to work with y’all!
“Storms make trees take deeper roots.” - Dolly Parton
Daelynn Resendiz
Education Advocacy Chair
Hi! My name’s Daelynn and I’ll be your education advocacy chair this year for Active Minds. I’m super excited to learn more and advocate for the mental health issues that may affect us as college students and the population at large. This space in Active Minds is truly a safe and supportive one to learn and share about mental health struggles, and I encourage you to join the club if you’re thinking about it. A little more about me: I’ll be a senior psychology major and neuroscience minor, hoping to go to grad school for clinical psychology. My dog is my life and he has been the biggest source of calm in my life this past year. I also enjoy time alone and watching tv. Hit me up if you have any questions or just to say hi! I would love to hear from you!