2024 MHAP Advocates
Jennifer De La Cruz is a Brooklyn College graduate who majored in Children and Youth Studies with a minor in Psychology. She was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in the Bronx. Jenny started as an intern with Youth Advocacy Corps and is now running our Mental Health Awareness Project. She is looking forward to exploring the mental health field further for her graduate studies, and she participates in events to raise awareness about social issues affecting children and youth. She enjoys journaling and reading books during her free time.
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Denice is a Brooklyn College graduate with a major in Psychology and a minor in Anthropology. Denice has felt there is an important need for advocacy and mental health awareness while growing up as a Mexican American in NYC. She decided to become a part of this change first as a Mental Health Advocate with MHAP and now as a Program Coordinator with the Youth Advocacy Corps. While doing this work she hopes to spread awareness, resources, and open people up to having difficult conversations.
Angie is a Brooklyn College Graduate student in the Mental Health Counseling program. They are an avid advocate for mental health, mental health services, and breaking down stigma, especially after growing up in a community where mental health is often swept under the rug.
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Aside from this, they enjoy crocheting, knitting, reading, and heavy metal music.
Ares (they/them) is an undergraduate student at Hunter College who is currently majoring in Psychology and plans to be a counselor in an elementary school. Ares has always been one to stick up for those whose voices may not always be heard in society and always makes sure to include everyone. They decided to become part of the MHAP program to gain more insight in how to help their community and implement all the knowledge they learn into their everyday life. Ares hopes to become someone that their younger self would be proud of.
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Aside from this, they like anything regarding art and consider themselves a creative person. For bonus points ask them about one direction (they will instantly light up).​
Nawshin Chowdhury (she/her) is an undergraduate student at Baruch College, majoring in Marketing Management with plans to minor in Human Resources. She is passionate about helping companies cultivate ethical work environments and supporting organizations that prioritize social responsibility. In her free time, she enjoys reading, trying new restaurants, and listening to pop music.
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Nawshin believes that volunteering with MHAP will help her raise awareness about the stigmas surrounding mental health, particularly in communities of color, and promote a more inclusive and understanding conversation around mental health issues.
Margo (she/her) is a junior Clinical Psychology major at Hunter College, hoping to become a Physician Assistant in the Psychiatric field. She aims to work in an adolescent psychiatric ward, supporting patients and reminding them they are not alone and that they are more than their mental illness.
Her journey through self-harm recovery and depression inspires her to become an advocate for self-harm and help others who struggle with it.
Margo enjoys drawing, going to the gym, and spending time with her 3 cats.
Marc (he/him) is a graduate of Hunter College with a major in Psychology, currently seeking to become a school counselor via Graduate Study. From his experience in his personal and academic life, Marc learned firsthand the value of having a system of support concerning mental health conversation, as well as the consequences of when stigma and additional factors that contribute to challenges or difficulties regarding mental health is either left unaddressed or is
allowed to persist.
To this end, he has been interested in learning more about how to become an active participant in addressing these issues both in the city and around the world, and applied to become an intern for the Youth Advocacy Corps’ 2024-25 Mental Health Awareness Project. Through this program, Marc hopes he can hone the skills needed as a Youth Advocate and prospective counselor, and help both put an end to the stigma of mental health, and can help build a space through which others can be inspired to be a part of this process too.
Hope Connolly (she/her) is currently enrolled at Hunter College and is soon to graduate with a BA in Psychology. She joined the Youth Advocacy Corps to encourage young people to speak out on their feelings and mental health. She believes that everyone has a voice and deserves a chance to be heard. Growing up in Queens, NY her whole life and traveling throughout the city, she is aware that not many people have the resources needed to maintain proper mental wellness and self - care. Her goal is to eliminate stigma against minorities and encourage those to speak out.
In her free time, Hope enjoys reading, listening to music, dancing, traveling and crocheting.
Fahmidah Islam (she/her) is a Hunter College student majoring in Psychology with a minor in the Japanese language. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, raised in a community of a mix of ethnicities where everyone was just trying to survive. Going to high school she saw the way mental health was negatively perceived by her community and wants to change that stigma to create an environment where mental health is used to our advantage. In the future she hopes to be a therapist helping whoever seeks her help and remind those who are scared mental health is a form of physical care. Everyone deserves to take care of themselves.
Dulce Lucas (she/her) is a student pursuing nursing at Hunter College. She wants to help create a voice loud enough that advocates for mental health. She understands that mental health is vital for all ages and thinks it’s important to understand that mental health problems can start from young which carry on to adulthood. This is something she strives to prevent or at least help spread the awareness of mental health and its importance.
Danielle (she/her) is a sophomore at Hunter college majoring in psychology with a concentration in clinical psychology. Danielle has aspirations to be a therapist for adolescents. She is very passionate about youth mental health especially when it comes to the negative aspects social media can have on mental health. She joined MHAP to advocate for mental health awareness and to help those who need mental health resources obtain them.
She loves to try new foods, thrift clothes, listen to music, bake and explore the city.
Mei Ting Xie (Mei) is a sophomore at Hunter College born and raised in New York. Around high school, Mei started to notice the rising mental health crisis among the youth, especially with the beginning and end of the pandemic. Desiring to help, Mei joined MHAP to learn more about mental health and ways she can help provide for her community. Additionally, Mei wishes to diminish the stigma around mental health, especially with the youth.
In her free time, Mei loves to read fantasy books and write. Her record was 11 books in a week.
MyAsia Williams (she/her) is a CUNY Hunter College student from Harlem majoring in Psychology. Before becoming a student at Hunter, she was a Journalism major at Clark Atlanta University with a passion for writing and media. During the Covid pandemic she decided that it was best for her to step back from journalism so that she could pursue a career in esthetics to specialize in acne and skin disorders like eczema and psoriasis. In working with her clients and helping to build their confidence by treating their skin, she realized that she had a passion for helping people and figured the best way to do that would be through psychology. Since having this epiphany, MyAsia worked hard to get into Hunter as a transfer student for fall 2024 and began my journey as a psychology student. She still enjoys esthetics but prefers to do consultations!
Currently, she's moved into a different wellness space for work at an acupuncture studio. She is learning how traditional Chinese medicine can benefit mental health and how the two are connected.
Karla Vazquez-Perez (she/her) is an undergraduate student at Hunter College majoring in Social Psychology with a minor in Women & Gender studies. She was originally interested in joining the Youth Advocacy Corps because there are so many stigmas within our society, there are a lack of resources, and she wishes to learn more about mental health advocacy in order to provide help to those who may feel that they are alone.
She plans on becoming a school psychologist because children especially are very innocent and often do not know how to approach these issues or often do not have anyone to confide in.
Along with this in her free time she loves watching new movies, spending time with her family especially her dog, and trying new food spots with friends.
Durga (she/her) is a Hunter College Graduate student in the General Psychology program. As an aspiring clinical psychologist, she is passionate about helping underserved families in NYC gain access to the resources they need. Growing up as a 2nd gen Indo-Guyanese American, she understood from an early age just how much multiculturalism can inform perspectives and influence the conversations people allow themselves to have with others. Her journey with mental health unveiled the importance of empathy and advocacy in all facets of life. She hopes to bring all
generations of people together with a common understanding of how to take care of ourselves and others on a mental health front.
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In her free time she enjoys bullet journaling, ice/roller skating, listening to music, and watching movies.
Ashley Pierre (she/her) is a current Hunter College student studying Clinical Psychology with a minor in Early Childhood Education in her 2nd year. Growing up mental health wasn’t necessarily prioritized in her community, and ever since having her own experiences, she realized how significant mental health is, to keep a good mental health and get the help that is needed. She is a Mental Health Advocate for not only people who don’t have the access and resources they need but also for communities who are in need of it.
Ashley hopes to spread awareness, resources, as well as be the voice of the voiceless.
Francisca Reyes (she/her) is an undergraduate student majoring in Psychology at Hunter College. Having grown up in a family with a brother with autism, and a fair share of personal experience and history with mental health workers, she realized how shamed people in her community were for needing help from said workers. Later in her life, she would experience that same stigmatization in her community from coming out as a trans woman.
Now, she works to change the communities and take out the social stigmas that arise from those same moments in her life, and hoping to allow people to be more free with themselves, whether it is admitting to needing or having help, or finding out about and accepting who they are. She is excited to be able to help during her time in MHAP.
Areanna Persaud (she/her) is a Hunter College senior getting a bachelor's degree in General Psychology. She was born in Guyana but raised in Mount Vernon, New York. The stigma surrounding mental health in her community is her main inspiration for studying psychology and becoming a mental health advocate, especially for the younger generations.
Outside of being a part of MHAP, she volunteers in the Street Homeless Advocacy Project, connecting with, and providing resources for unhoused individuals on the streets of Manhattan. She spends her free time crocheting, listening to music, and spending quality time with her friends and family.
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Miriam Lewis (She/her) is a college sophomore at Hunter College. She is currently majoring in Psychology and is a pre-med student. She plans on becoming either a psychiatrist or a social worker and aspires to end stigma around psychotic disorders. Her experiences with mental health conditions such as ADHD makes her deeply passionate about raising others up, and she wishes for a world that is a bit more welcoming to those with mental illness.
She joined the YAC because she believes that it will be her first step into becoming a more understanding and supportive person for the people who she will encounter in her career as a mental health professional.
In her free time, Miriam loves to draw digitally. She has been an artist for almost 10 years. She is also passionate about music and loves to swim. She likes all types of videogames and would love someone to play a game with!
Yi Wendy Ng Liang (She/her) is an undergraduate student at City College majoring in Psychology with a concentration on Credentialed Alcoholism & Substance Abuse.
Wendy joined the Youth Advocacy Summer Institute in 2023 and decided to continue her journey at the Youth Advocacy Corps as an intern. She seeks to explore and promote mental health across NYC to break the silence surrounding mental health.
Wendy believes reaching out for support is a courageous step towards healing and empowerment.
Raina is a queer Latinx student at City College, who is graduating soon with their bachelors in Psychology. They will be pursuing a masters in mental health counseling and hope to eventually receive a doctoral degree to make assessment testing more accessible to those who need it most, as accessible testing is how Raina was diagnosed with ADHD and received help.
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Raina is a cat and ferret parent, both pets who love to wake her up too early in the morning.
Tas is a 20 year old New Yorker majoring in psychology at City College, set to graduate with her bachelor’s and master’s degree in 2024. She hopes to go into clinical work after obtaining her degree and looks forward to creating changes and leaving behind numerous impacts.
Tas is a great listener, empathetic and good at giving advice. She loves to bake sweets and take pictures in her free time. She’s quite shy and introverted at first but has a big heart.
Salma Rodriguez is in her sophomore year at Lehman College aiming to get her bachelors in Speech Pathology and Audio. Salma was previously part of YASI during the summer of 2023 and enjoyed her time there. She was interested in food justice because she lived in a food desert community and wanted to learn how to access more nutritional options.
After her time in YASI she became more aware of the importance of mental health and spreading more resources for everyone. She hopes her time in MHAP will help her connect more with her
community and family.
Lorenzo is a City College graduate who majored in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. He was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Growing up as a Mexican-American, Lorenzo has recognized a need for change and development in discussions on mental health and mental illness in his community. Therefore, he aims to pursue his master’s degree in mental health counseling to hopefully create a change in those around him. Lorenzo is currently working on this by helping with the current humanitarian crisis and volunteering at the crisis text line.
In his free time, he enjoys driving to new places, playing video games, collecting shoes, and learning new things like building a desktop computer.
Madison Zaldívar is 19 years old, and was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She is now a college student enrolled at The City College of New York. Her major is Psychology. She has a long term goal of becoming a counselling psychologist. In her free time she enjoys yoga, hanging out with family & friends, & listening to music. She also enjoys thrifting clothes & trying new foods.
Madison is apart of MHAP because she is passionate about Mental Health. Working towards creating a society that is aware of mental health & uses resources as a form of self-care is a value for hers. Being in MHAP allows her to do exactly that. She also believes being an advocate is attributed to the practice of being the change we want to see in the world.
Iris Chon is attending City College of New York while pursuing a Bachelor's in Psychology. Iris joined Youth Advocacy Corps as a Mental Health Advocate because she wants to raise awareness about mental health for people who need it the most. She believes that acquiring knowledge about mental health will improve one’s physical,mental, and emotional well-being. No one should be left out of gaining more knowledge about mental health no matter what their socioeconomic status is. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s that much more important to educate younger generations on their mental health to provide them with the tools to succeed in life. Iris also aspires to be a Mental Health Counselor and give back to the Asian-American community in hopes of destigmatizing mental illnesses.
Yuong Huao Ng Liang is a New York City College of Technology undergraduate who majored in Human Services, aims to master Child Psychology, and aspires to be a school counselor, school guidance counselor, or social worker.
Yuong Huao’s interest in mental health stems from his preadolescent to his adolescent years experiences. Yuong Huao experienced bullies at school in the United States and in his hometown. He identifies as Chinese-Venezuelan. Whether it is Chinese or Hispanic culture, mental health is viewed as underrated, nonexistent, and shameful. As a Youth Advocate, he hopes to break the mental health stigma, spread awareness and resources, and inspire people to speak up and seek resources, especially children, youth, and young adults; tell people how you feel, and your feelings should matter.
Nikola Thousand is an autistic, Dominican trans femme plural system born and raised in NYC and passionate about art and music. She has joined MHAP because they care to apply their passion for creativity in the exploration and advocacy of improving mental health, self-care, wellness and supporting those in intersections like themselves. Based in Harlem, they use their music to speak on their lived experiences as a New Yorker and use general themes in their music to allude to the struggles of other New Yorkers, trans women, AMABs, Dominicans, queer folx, and those who have been abused by family and/or the mental health system.
They wish to shed light on the hardships that people may or may not share in the experiences that they experienced and always encourage those they know to find their own art. Living by their mantra, “Everything Exists, You Oughta Find It,” and posing the idea that all of life is art, they work towards leading an example of what self-care and wellness look like for all of them, and hopefully for those around them.
Stacy Ann C. De Souza is a legally blind young woman from Trinidad and Tobago who is a graduate of Borough of Manhattan Community College, where she majored in Early Childhood Education, as well as a graduate of Brooklyn College, where she majored in Children Youth Studies. She enjoys music and participating in Daniel’s Music Foundation music classes.
Stacy Ann now lives in Brooklyn, New York. She started volunteering with Youth Advocacy Corps as a guest speaker for a YASI disability awareness presentation with Professor Carla. Stacy Ann is excited about advocating for Mental Health and Disability Awareness alongside MHAP and is looking forward to motivating young people to let their voices be heard in society in positive ways.
Nikala D’Aguiar is a second year student at Guttman Community college.
She was born and raised in Guyana, South America and moved to the USA three years ago. Nikala Advocates for survivors of sexual assault and aim to empower theses individuals to share their story and educate others. She was part of the Youth Advocacy Summer Institute where she learned more about mental health. Nikala joined MHAP because she hopes to spread awareness about the importance of mental health and break the stigma surrounding it. In her free time, she enjoys reading, spending time with family and friends and going on adventures.
Rachel Bai is a John Jay College of Criminal Justice graduate. She majored in Criminology, minored in Psychology, and earned a certificate in Dispute Resolution. Rachel works at New York Peace Institute on weekdays and Youth Advocacy Corps on the weekends. She is excited about advocating for mental health awareness with MHAP in schools all over NYC. Rachel was born and raised in Brooklyn. In her free time, she likes to bake, read, listen to music, and travel.