Find A Youth Mentor

Hello everyone! My name is Dionne Glover and I am from Columbus, OH. I am a senior at The Ohio State University majoring in theoretical mathematics. I discovered that I had alopecia when I was 15 years old. My hair loss was a very rapid progression. I first started out with a few bald patches, but within a few months, all of the hair was completely gone on my head. This became very hard for me to deal with because I also had to deal with the challenges that came with high school. I chose to wear a wig during this time and it eventually served as my security blanket. A year later, I was fortunate enough to have all of my hair grow back. To this day, I still struggle with patches, along with the fear of the unknown. I have never been open about my alopecia, which is why I want to become a mentor. I want to have the opportunity to help my mentee(s) through these times that could prove to be difficult. I had a great support system during high school which helped me process the situation, so I want to be able to lend that hand to someone else. Currently, my interests include both makeup and fashion. I also enjoy hanging out with my friends and binge-watching shows on Netflix. I am eager to offer any advice to my mentee(s) and to help them out in any way!

Hello, my name is Simo and I am 25. I have had alopecia since I was 10. I understand how hard it is to live with alopecia especially in the early stages of the disease because I lived it. In the beginning, I was sad 100% of the time. I tried every kind of solution in the world with no success. Today, I would say that alopecia is the best thing that happened in my life, and I mean it! As a result of alopecia, I started building a strong self-confidence and it also helps me with my success today. I am looking forward to be a mentor to show you how to acquire this self-confidence quickly and how to accept alopecia. Remember, happiness starts with a conscious choice. Suffering offers no benefit whatsoever. None! This mindset has been my cure for alopecia, believe it or not! I had alopecia universalis before. Today, I have full regrowth of my eyebrows and my beard-thanks to this MAGIC cure called a positive attitude :) #StayStrongNoMatterWhat

My name is Jackie Linevsky and I am attending the University of Florida pursuing a degree in Astrophysics with minors in international studies and sustainability. I just completed a trip around the world and studied abroad in New Zealand for 5 months, so I love to travel. I am also into hiking and camping, I love to cook, and I paint and draw. I am 22 years old and got alopecia areata when I was 19 and currently I have alopecia universalis. My alopecia experience was very confusing because at first no one knew what was wrong with me or why my hair was falling out, so it was very scary. Doctors put me through all sorts of tests and tried a lot of different things to try and make the hair come back and to figure out why it was falling but nothing worked. Eventually it was determined that I had alopecia. Being scientifically minded, I decided to do a lot of research on alopecia which helped me figure out and understand what was happening. I reached out to NAAF and went to the conference where I met others with alopecia and it changed my life. I have tons of hacks and tricks for living with alopecia from how to deal with a wig or hat in airport security to different activewear caps and even how to deal with having alopecia in relation to social media. I like to switch up my look by using either a wig, hat, or head scarf and learned different ways to tie a turban. Now, I see my alopecia as something that makes me unique and think it tells a story about myself. I have accepted it and am even happy that I had the whole experience because it helped me grow as a person and meet an incredible support group through NAAF. Please reach out and I look forward to being an alopecia mentor and a friend.

Hi! My name is Elisabeth, and I'm a college freshman. I'm currently at College of Marin but will be attending the University of San Francisco in the fall of 2023. I've grown up in Marin County all my life and have fallen in love with San Francisco and all it has to offer. That said, I'm the BIGGEST Giants and Golden State Warriors fan. I play volleyball, love music of all kinds, and am the biggest Studio Ghibli & Disney/Pixar enthusiast. I started to lose my hair when I was 13 (May 2017). I began to see doctors in my area, and about a month later, I was diagnosed with alopecia areata. It started out as small patches, and by the end of the month, my hair was all gone. It was really hard, especially as a middle schooler, having to go around with hats or wraps covering my head and being unable to explain what was happening to my peers. Being scared of wigs did not help my situation at all. My hair slowly grew back, and to this day, I've had random, patchy flare-ups every month or so from 8th grade to my senior year in high school. It started to fall out again in April of my senior year, which took a massive toll on my mental health, more so than it did in middle school and all of my hair fell out again.  Luckily, I had (and continue to have) such a fantastic support group in my family and friends. I want to give those in this mentor program the comfort and reassurance I needed when I first discovered I had alopecia. It's hard, and at first, you'll feel alone in this new world, but I want to be able to give the kids, and their parents, the support that I really needed at the beginning of all the craziness and to know that you're never alone!

Hi! My name is Michael, and I am from Southern New Jersey. I now live in New York City where I work as a Costume Designer at The Juilliard School. I was diagnosed with Alopecia when I was two but first started losing hair when I was nine years old. I wore wigs during this time – however, I stopped wearing wigs when my hair came back. I grew back my eyebrows, eyelashes, and a thick head of hair. Then when I was 15 all my hair fell out again. I am now 22 and have a thin amount of hair on my head and receive eyebrow injections several times a year. Despite that, I have been heavily involved in the theatre community since I was 10 years old, performing and eventually designing for the stage. Growing up performing in front of others young and bald can be difficult and scary. I hope to share my experience, whilst also listening, learning, and growing with my mentee(s). In my free time I love drawing, going to museums, and watching movies. I am greatly looking forward to developing meaningful relationships! 

Hi, my name is Jamil Wilkerson. I am originally from Indiana, but as a military brat also lived in Texas and Hawaii. I am currently a student at the University of Southern California studying sociology with hopes of attending law school after. Looking back, as a young kid I developed alopecia and never imagined still having it. Through it all, I have become a more sensitive and compassionate person. This is my first encounter with NAAF and I am thrilled for it!

Hi, I’m Caroline! I am currently in graduate school in Amherst, Massachusetts. I study geology and am getting my masters studying tsunami risk in Japan. Before this, I grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and went to undergraduate at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania. In terms of hobbies, I love to hike, rock climb, run, watch movies, cook new recipes, and learn new things. I was diagnosed with alopecia universalis about 4 years ago while at Lafayette, when I turned 20. It all happened pretty quickly for me: my hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes all went within a few months. I do own a wig, but don’t wear it very frequently. Even though my experience with alopecia was very recent, I know that without it I would be a very different person today. I have really become able to embrace and love who I am, no matter what that entails. Because of how alopecia has changed me, I feel inspired to talk to others about their experiences and especially work with children and younger people that are going through this. Alopecia is challenging for everyone, but with some help you can come out stronger and more confident on the other side.

I am a Arizona native living in Phoenix Arizona. I have a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and have been working all over the country in the Solar industry the past 4 years and now work as an Engineer in Scottsdale. I grew up in Prescott Arizona and was one of two boys. My older brother has had Alopecia Universalis since he was 4 years old and in 2018 I lost all my hair as well. I am fortunate to have a brother who can relate to the situation I am in and it has helped me to keep a positive attitude and prioritize the important things in life. Watching my brother grow through his formative years, not looking like his peers, I can see how it helped him to become the resilient, successful, empathetic, kind man he is today. He has helped me to be confident in my new look and have the realization that I can be confident in who I am, with or without hair. My brother's impact on me over the last year is one of my main motivations for connecting with a mentee, as I can see how it can feel isolating and lonely going through this without someone who has shared the experience. Things I do for fun… playing sports (played football/basketball/baseball through high school), trying new/foreign foods, traveling when I can, watching movies/netflix, camping/exploring outdoors, mountain bike riding, listening to music, finding new/cool/fun things to do in town. I appreciate you taking the time to read my bio and look forward to meeting you.

Hi my name is Calvin! I am a UC Davis graduate and in my spare time I like to create new acquaintances and participate in sports such as tennis and basketball. I was diagnosed with alopecia areata during my Junior year of high school. Through a series of flares, I learned to better overcome negative intrapersonal thoughts and be comfortable living with alopecia. Alopecia has allowed me to become truly understanding of the differences in people’s perception and approach others with integrity. As a mentor, I want to empower you in developing a healthy mindset and guide others to feel comfortable with one’s self. I look forward to learning about your experiences and supporting in the best way I can!

Hi! My name is Amber and I live in Clinton, Maryland. I’m a Psychology major and a soon to be graduate of my local community college. I will then transfer to either American University or University of Maryland Baltimore County. I’ve had alopecia ever since I was 3 years old. Being bald is all I’ve ever known! My alopecia journey has been an emotional experience, but it has ultimately made me who I am! I never had much of a support system growing up, and I’m the only individual in my family with alopecia, so I truly do want to make a difference in the lives of alopecian youth! I love to help people; it’s my calling in life! Bald IS beautiful!