Meet the Current SLT
Aidah
My name is Aidah, and I am a freshman. Following my middle school experience, I will be continuing my work with the Power Of Know chapter in my city, Revere. I have been so grateful to have been given the opportunity to start community work through my chapter in middle school, as I always enjoy getting to help and know others! Another highlight of my junior high years was getting to be a member of the MSA (middle school ambassadors) as a part of the 84 Movement. Being an ambassador has helped pave the way towards the direction of not only being able to help people in my community, but nearing ones as well. Knowing that I now have the opportunity to go even further into helping my state and others in cities further away with the 84 has brought so many more possibilities for my future, which is why I wanted to be a part of the SLT. Outside of my community work and the 84, I do enjoy sports such as swimming and field hockey, which I will be playing this upcoming fall on my school team. My hobbies include painting and other forms of art on my open time, as well as being around my friends and family family and spending quality time with them.
Ava
I am Ava Vieira from Easton 84, and I attend Oliver Ames Highschool. I will be attending 10th grade this fall. I love to to dance, cheer, read, and draw. I want to be apart of the SLT to make connections and leave an impact on my community.
Boyoung
Hello!! My name is Boyoung Paik and I am a junior at Needham High School and I am part of our chapter called SALSA (Students Advocating Life without Substance Abuse). Is one of my hobbies include singing and doing theater, which is how I spend most of my time after school. I also enjoy working with kids, and I volunteer as a camp counselor every summer at my church. This will be my second year being part of the SLT, and the main reasons I wanted to return was the amazing community as well as the opportunities the team opens up for youth.
Calvin
Hello everyone, my name is Calvin Spear and I am a Junior who works with Cohasset Safe Harbor Youth Ambassadors. I am an aspiring body builder who enjoys watching marvel movies and biking with my friends. I wanted to be apart of the Statewide Leadership Team to further develop my confidence and presentation skills as well as my knowledge of substance miss-use. I hope to grow as a leader and a peer during this upcoming year with the Statewide Leadership team.
Chahat
Hello my name is Chahat Kalia! I’m in 9th grade and I’m a SPF Leader and now also work with The 84 Movement as a SLT. I love to roller blade and figure skate and I’ve been skating for the past 9 years! I wanted to be a part of the Statewide Leadership Team because it is a great opportunity to educate myself and others about substance use and social issues.
Chloe
Hi my name is Chloe Hunt and I represent Medfield Cares about Prevention. I’m a senior at Medfield High School. I love sports and I play volleyball and softball. I volunteer with animals and spend my free time with friends and family. I wanted to be part of the SLT to be able to collaborate with people my age from all around the state and make an impact bigger than myself.
Djemimah
Hello! My name is Djemimah Filois and my chapter is WPY Trailblazers. I am in eleventh grade. My hobbies are playing the piano, volleyball, dancing, and track and my interests are biomedical sciences and reading. I joined the statewide Leadership Team to advocate for problems and issues my community is facing.
Evyenia
Evyenia is a junior at Lynnfield High School. She has worked to prevent substance misuse since 2020 when she joined her local coalition, A Healthy Lynnfield, as a youth leader. Since then, she has been assisting with various coalition projects surrounding substance misuse. In February 2021, Evyenia attended the CADCA National Youth Leadership Forum and was able to share new outreach strategies with her coalition. Evyenia is also working to start her own mental health awareness group with youth from across the state of Massachusetts. The group is called Wipe Out Stigma; it is a statewide group that focuses on raising awareness about mental health through policy changes. Other than being a part of the youth council and founding WOS, Evyenia spends time as a part of her school mock trial team and band. Outside of school she enjoys reading, spending time with friends and family, and skiing in the winter. As a part of the Statewide Leadership Team, she hopes to gain new leadership experience and to use her passion for substance misuse and mental health advocacy to create change.
Hana
Hello! My name is Hana Menkari. I’m entering my senior year of high school and I’m representing the Revere Cares Youth Health Leadership Council in the 84 Movement Statewide Leadership Team. I chose to be apart of the Statewide Leadership Team because I wanted to be apart of a larger scope of change outside of my Revere community. I wanted to be able to represent a town that I grew my whole life in with a team that’s inclusive of everyone no matter one’s socioeconomic background, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. I chose to be apart of the 84 to advocate for change on a Statewide level.
Hannah
Hannah is a sophomore at Leicester High School. It is her second year as a member of the 84 Statewide Leadership Team. Hannah is a student athlete on her school’s girls soccer and tennis teams, and a member of her school’s student council. She was first involved with the 84 Movement as an eighth grader and enjoyed learning about tobacco awareness. She was grateful to be able to make change in her community, which influenced her to apply and join the SLT!
Julia
Julia (she/her) is a senior at Natick High School, where she is co-chair of her chapter, Natick Above the Influence. She’s passionate about preventing addiction, promoting social justice, and advocating for mental health to make her community a safer, more welcoming environment for everyone. She’s extremely grateful and excited to have the opportunity to shape policy, educate the community, and grow as a leader on the SLT! Julia is also co-president of her school’s Model UN club and is a student mentor, and she loves to read, write, paint, listen to music, explore new places, and spend time with her family and friends.
Kiasis
My name is Kiasis Whitely from the YWCA of Lowell. I’m in the 11th grade and I’m interested in playing electric guitar, cooking, playing volleyball and to sketch during my free time. I wanted to be part of the Statewide Leadership Team because I wanted to make a difference not only in my city but others as well and this would be an amazing opportunity to do so.
Nathan
Hey everyone, my name is Nathan and I am a junior from Melrose High. I am a huge sports-lover and I love staying active, whether by playing basketball, tennis, or just going for a walk outside. Another interest of mine is traveling and exploring new places. I also enjoy spending time with family and friends, especially when it comes to playing board games or active activities. Music is a huge part of my life too. Being a violinist in my school Orchestra, music is a way for me to relieve stress and is a source of motivation for me. I wanted to be a part of the SLT because I am passionate about becoming an active leader in my community. After attending several SLT workshops in the past, the work of past leaders and their confidence in the presentations was something that really stood out to me! Growing up, having positive role models in my life helped me become my better self, and I want to give back by being a role model for others to look up to. Overall I am excited to be part of a great group with the goal of advocating against tobacco and substance abuse.
Talia
Stepping into high school as a nervous seventh-grader, I was met with the brute reality of being a nicotine bystander. Bathroom stalls and hallways were constantly clouded with smoke, but the forecast would soon change. As a rising junior, enthralled with advocacy and student leadership, I became a member of the SLT to replenish the weakened community within my school.
Yvangi
My name is Yvangi Jacques, I am a 16-year-old junior at Avon Middle High School, and I am the co-chair of the Avon Coalition for Everyone’s Success Chapter and a member of the Statewide Leadership Team. My hobbies include playing piano, reading, and playing video games. I’m passionate about tobacco and social justice work because it is a big issue in my community and I want to do my part in addressing this issue. It’s important for me to do this advocacy because these are issues that everyone should know and care about.
