SafeSpace Youth Action Board

For Youth, By Youth

Find the 2024-'25 application here

SafeSpace Youth Action Board empowers young people to engage with their local communities by promoting mental health awareness, reducing the stigma of getting help, and developing solutions to improve the lives of all young people. These youth driven activities prevents isolation and fosters human connections.

Currently SafeSpace Youth Action Board members collaborate with numerous public, private and charter high schools and middle schools in the San Francisco Bay Area working with school administrators and faculty to spearhead mental health initiatives at their schools and communities. In addition, our SafeSpace Youth Action Board cultivates numerous community partnerships, produces mental wellness videos and opportunities to get help through our digital portal.

SafeSpace Youth Action Board

Core leaders

ChristineR

Christine R.

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Christine R.

Castilleja School, Grade 12

I joined SYAB to support the mental health and well-being of teenage students while promoting therapy through creative forms.

Fun Fact: I love rabbits!

Favorite Quote: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."

RheaN

Rhea N.

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Rhea N.

Menlo School, Grade 12

I joined SYAB because I want to help educate my community on mental health and make resources more readily available. I believe that a conversation can make all the difference and I want to be a part of it.

Fun Fact: My favorite food is french fries.

Favorite quote: "My vibe is like, hey, you could probably pour soup in my lap, and I'll apologize to you." - John Mulaney

OrlyG

Orly G.

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Orly G.

Mountain View High School, Grade 11

I joined SYAB to help contribute to breaking the stigma surrounding mental health, and to implement additional mental health resources in schools.

Fun fact: I have been playing acoustic and electric guitar for 8 years!

Favorite quote: “The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between.” - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Youth Action Board

AlonzoG

Alonzo G.

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Alonza G.

Westmoor High School, Grade 12

I joined Safespace because I want to bring a voice to people my age to be able to talk and spread awareness about Mental Health.

Fun Fact: My favorite song is Silkk da Shocka by Isaiah Rashad.

AriyaK

Ariya K.

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Ariya K.

Menlo School, Grade 10

I joined SYAB to use my own experience with mental health challenges to assist youth who are struggling through similar difficulties. I want to work towards destigmatizing mental health in the Bay Area specifically among teenagers arising from the pandemic.

Fun Fact: In my free time, I enjoy running cross country, exploring the field of science, and traveling the world with my family!

Favorite Quote: “It’s not about the failure, it’s about the recovery.” Carla Harris

AshwinR2

Ashwin R.

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Ashwin R.

Design Tech High School, Grade 10

I joined SYAB so I could help people in the community especially youth learn about mental health.

Fun Fact: In my free time I love to bake and I also have a cookie business.

Favorite Quote: "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get."

IMG_5478 - Charlotte Finegold

Charlotte F.

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Charlotte F.

Sequoia High School, Grade 11

I joined SYAB because I personally have struggled with mental health. Therefore I am extremely passionate about spreading awareness about it. Safespace is a place where I am able to work with my peers to help make a difference in our community.

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Chris A.

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Chris A.

Sacred Heart Prep, Grade 11

DeloresM

Delores M.

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Delores M.

Sacred Heart Prepatory, Grade 11

I struggled with my mental health without a firm support system and healthy coping mechanisms. My journey and the loss of my close friend to suicide sparked passion to learn and educate others on how to take care of their mental health.

Fun Fact: In my free time I enjoy writing poetry, drawing, singing, roller-skating, reading, and makeup art 🙂 One extra fun fact is that I write down every inspiring quote I read in my journal ❤️

Favorite Quote: “Through compassion we choose to enter into the world of those who suffer and to become involved with their lives because, having undergone suffering ourselves, we know what suffering does to a person. And because we know the deliberating defects of suffering, we do not want them to suffer alone.” -Thich Nhat Hanh

SafeSpace Logo Stroke 3

Eugenie K.

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Eugenie K.

Saint Francis High School, Grade 11

I joined SYAB since I know many teens such as my self are currently experiencing personal hardships that can make them feel like they are alone, without knowing others may share similar struggles. Therefore I wanted to create a place where teens are able to connect with one another over personal adversaries and feel less alone!.

Fun Fact: I’m part of cross country, enjoy playing the cello, and taking pictures of the sunset!.

SafeSpace Logo Stroke 3

Elliot H.

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Elliot H.

Woodside High School, Grade 10

I decided to join the SYAB to help educate people about mental health and stop the stigma surrounding it.

Fun Fact:A fun fact about me is that I'm always doing something creative or working on a project of some sort. I find it fun to sort of get lost in the project I'm working on and let myself be completely creative

Favorite Quote:

HannahL

Hannah L.

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Hannah L.

Aragon High School, Grade 11

I joined SYAB because I wanted to connect to students through a student-led organization. I felt many of the services provided by our community was avoided because of the mistrust between my peers and adults, and I saw SYAB as an organization that could break through these barriers.

Fun Fact: During quarantine, I got into the hobby of solving jigsaw puzzles, and it seems to be gradually turning into an addiction.

Favorite Quote: “To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first, and call whatever you hit the target.” -Ashleigh Brilliant

HelenN2

Helen N.

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Helen N.

Sacred Heart Prepatory, Grade 12

I joined SYAB because I have seen and experienced the impacts of neglected and tabooed mental health both personally and among my loved ones. Through SafeSpace, I want to help unpack the stigma and foster a community where mental health is just as cared for as physical.

JacquelineL

Jacqueline L.

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Jacqueline L.

Menlo School, Grade 12

I joined the Safe Space Youth Action Board to reduce the stigma around mental health, and help to create a safe place where people can open up and be listened to, find others to identify with, and feel a sense of togetherness and belonging.

Fun Fact: In my free time, I love to ski with my family and play volleyball with my friends.

Favorite Quote: "Everything happens for a reason."

JoannaL

Joanna L.

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Joanna L.

Gunn High school, Grade 11

I am passionate about spreading awareness and support for mental health and wellness. Joining SYAB has given me the opportunity to share my own healing journey with anxiety and to advocate for underrepresented voices in the mental health community. I believe things can always get better with action and hope.

Fun fact: In my free time, I enjoy journaling, playing the piano, and trying new foods! I'm also a Swiftie and love pretending I'm in a music video.

Favorite quote: "Caring is the coolest thing I've ever seen anyone do." - Peanuts

LeoK

Leo K.

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Leo K.

Menlo-Atherton High School Alumni, Web Designer, Photographer

I joined SYAB my junior year of high school, looking for a community of people that shared my similar passion for mental health. SafeSpace is beyond what I could have ever imagined I’d be a part of! I continue to work with SafeSpace into my college career, because they are such a family to me. Now, I have the privilege of combining my own creative and technical skills to help expand our voice to an even greater community.

Visit leokalotihos.com for more.

MelanieG3

Melanie G.

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Melanie G.

The Menlo School, Grade 12

I joined SafeSpace to help make a difference in my community for people of all ages that need help.

Fun Fact: I am the middle of 5 siblings.

Favorite quote: "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, its about learning how to dance in the rain"

NamyaK

Namya K.

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Namya K.

Gunn High School, Grade 12

I joined SYAB because I believe that mental health is a topic that needs to be destigmatized and awareness of it is important.

Fun fact: When I was younger, I could name all the presidents of the United States and what president number they were.

Favorite quote: “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Noah R.

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Noah

Summit Prep Charter School, Grade 12

I joined SYAB because I want to see real change in the way mental health is viewed and responded to.

Fun fact: I love to make my own jewelry.

Favorite Quote: "Caring for myself is not self indulgence, it is self preservation" - Audre Lorde

Need to talk? »

Connect now to
SafeSpace Support Line

Need to talk? »

Connect now to
SafeSpace Support Line

Need to talk? »

Connect now to
SafeSpace Support Line

Need to talk? »

Connect now to
SafeSpace Support Line