The Steve Fund Youth Advisory Board supports the Steve Fund’s programs, initiatives, and outreach efforts nationwide. Youth Advisory Board members promote the importance of education about mental health and emotional well-being and help young people of color access resources on college and university campuses and within their respective communities. They advise on all Steve Fund efforts; help maximize the Fund’s impact among young people of color; help create innovative strategy; and connect their peers to mental health resources. Youth Advisory Board member serve as ambassadors and leaders. In partnership, they work with one another to create, implement, launch, and engage. You can read more about the Youth Advisory Board in the PDF packet to the right.
Jay Wang is currently on sabbatical from academia but is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin (BSA, Biology) and the University of North Texas Health Science Center (M.S., Medical Sciences). Jay has served on The Steve Fund YAB since 2017 and has enjoyed every second of it! Through the YAB, he hopes to continue building a foundation and space for SOCs juggling their various identities and ensuring that they have the proper mental health tools to progress and reach whatever goals they may have later in life. In particular, Jay has a strong desire to reach out to LGBTQ+ youth, immigrant and first-generation students, and language brokers.
Ryan Houston-Dial is a junior at The University of Texas at San Antonio majoring in Psychology and minoring in Anthropology. Ryan believes that culture and the environment have a strong influence on the mental wellbeing of individuals. He has noticed that family and friends have a resistance with opening up and in return caused complications. Through his love of writing, Ryan is motivated to communicate the importance of mental health to minority groups. Ryan has personally witnessed the way mental health can be disregarded in African American communities, especially children, and wants to be a part of a positive change. Furthermore, work to diminish assumptions and stereotypes that have resided in the African American community for decades about mental health. Through research about social cognition, Ryan remains dedicated to creating solutions for individuals who struggle with mental health in less fortunate communities.
Isabel Alvarez is currently a junior at the University of Connecticut studying Psychology and Human Development and Family Sciences along with a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Isabel joined The Steve Fund Advisory Board because of the importance of addressing the stigma behind mental health among minorities -specifically on a college campus. She also hopes to encourage mental health services and resources to be more readily available for minorities on campus.
Taytum Dunn is a senior at Xavier University of Louisiana studying Psychology and Speech Pathology. Taytum joined The Steve Fund because it is one of few programs that exist in the U.S. that targets students of color. This population is not only important to her because she is a part of this community, but also because it is the most underrepresented. Taytum continues to serve on the YAB as The Steve Fund gives her a voice to help.
Jierah Reid is a sophomore at Southern Connecticut State University majoring in Healthcare Studies and minoring in Psychology. Jierah’s drive to educate individuals throughout our society on mental health and emotional wellbeing is what drew her towards becoming a member of The Steve Fund YAB. She is dedicated to reshaping the stigma connected to mental illness, specifically targeting those who may feel hesitant to seek help (primarily people of color). Her passion will help promote the importance of mental health throughout her campus and the community.
Shantalea Johns is a doctoral candidate at Wayne State University College of Education with a concentration in educational leadership and policy studies. Shantalea is a fully licensed master-level social worker with both the clinical and macro specialty. She is also a mental health prevention educator and a certified child and adolescent trauma professional. As a Steve Fund YAB alumni member, she hopes to continue her work in reducing mental health disparities for African American adolescents and reducing social isolation for diverse college students living with mental health or developmental disorders.
2017-2018 Cohort
Alice Lindo, UC Santa Cruz
Alyssa Ince, Yale University
Brittany Washington, Georgia University
Dazialee Goodwin, Saint Louis University
Gustavo Molinar, Ohio State University
Idris Mitchell, Yale University
Jada Hill, Pennsylvania State University
Jay Wang, University of North Texas Health Science Center
Jazmin Pruitt, Georgetown University
Kenna Chick, Georgetown University
Kyle Cayemittes, Baruch College
Maya Terry, Washington University
Melina Acosta, The University of Texas at Austin
Simeon Skylvester, Pennsylvania State University
Vania Richardson, California State University
2018-2019 Cohort
Alejandra Perez, Lone Star College Cy-Fair
Annie Walker, Wright State University
Idris Mitchell, Yale University
Jay Wang, University of North Texas Health Science Center
Lydia Horan, Yale University
Maya Terry, Washington University
Melina Acosta, The University of Texas at Austin
Melissa Sandoval, The College of New Jersey
Selena Huapilla-Perez, Michigan State University
Shantalea Johns, Wayne State University
Susana Zelaya Rivera, Ursinus College
Taytum Dunn, Xavier School of Louisiana
Stay tuned for more information. If you have any questions, please contact yab@stevefund.org.
Our Mission: Promoting the mental health and emotional well-being of young people of color