Find A Youth Mentor

Hi everyone! My name is Niki, and I am currently a medical student living in New York City. I was suddenly diagnosed with alopecia a couple of years ago, which caused patchy hair loss in my scalp and eyebrows. Since then, I have tried various treatments in an effort to manage my condition; however, I continue to experience cycles of hair loss and growth. Despite the ups and downs, I have learned to embrace my alopecia and see it as a part of who I am. While the physical effects of alopecia can be difficult, the emotional impact can be just as challenging. I decided to get involved with NAAF because I understand the importance of finding support and compassion from individuals who have undergone similar experiences. I am eager to share my story and offer encouragement and guidance to those affected by alopecia to help them feel less alone in their journey.

Hi! I'm Margaret McGraw, a 25 year old working for a fintech company and living in New York City! I've had Alopecia since I was a little kid and wore a wig until this past year. I ran the New York City Marathon in 2022 to raise awareness for Alopecia Areata, and during that process, I stopped wearing my wig all together. I'm an active person who enjoys running, hiking, playing tennis and walking around/exploring! I'm a huge Francophile, and speak French fluently. I love to cook, watch new tv shows, hang out with friends, and read new books! 

Hi! My name is Serena Kas-Mikha and I am 20 years old. I live in Michigan and I’m a social work student. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, listening to music, and going to the gym. I developed Alopecia Areata when I was 9 years old. I lost my eyelashes, eyebrows, and developed bald spots around my head. I would get about 6-7 patches at a time. In 2020, I lost almost all my hair and it happened suddenly. I was devastated and I allowed what I was going through to take over my life and alter the way I felt about myself. It took a toll on my mental health, but I was lucky enough to have supportive people in my life who helped me through it. It’s been a journey filled with ups and downs but it’s one I’m so grateful for. As my hair eventually began to grow back, my experiences have become a part of who I am. Alopecia has taught me self-love and that my worth was never defined by the number of hairs on my head. In the midst of your struggle, it can feel like you’re alone, but I promise you’ll get to the other side of what you’re going through. Lean on the people closest to you, they want to help, you don’t have to face anything by yourself. As a mentor, I hope I can help someone feel less alone, loved, and supported throughout their journey.   

Hello! My name is Caylee Harder. I’m 19 years old. I have lived in the Kansas City area my entire life. I have Alopecia Universalis now, but it started out as alopecia areata when I was younger. I was first diagnosed with alopecia when I was in 3rd grade. I did the typical steroid shots, and it disappeared for a while. Then it came back up in middle school but worse than ever. I tried everything to try to get my hair back, but nothing was working. Now 7 years later I have no hair on my head, arms, legs, and parts of my face. I am currently a sophomore in college majoring in elementary education. I’ll be attending Emporia State in the spring next year. I enjoy photography a lot. I take a lot of photos and people and things around me. I also LOVE arts and crafts (even if I’m not that good at it.) I’m so excited and really looking forward to getting to meet you as soon as possible and help in any way I can!

Hi! My name is Sam and I’m 21 years old. I’ve had alopecia for my entire life (since I was 3) and I’ve been involved with NAAF for just as long. I live in Muncie, Indiana but I grew up in New Albany, Indiana. I’m a junior in college at Ball State University studying English and Women’s Studies and plan on going to law school! NAAF has been my support system my entire life and I’ve made such amazing friends and gained so much confidence and self-acceptance through attending the conferences. I would not be who I am today without the friendships, opportunities, and support that NAAF has given me. I’m proudly bald and do not wear a wig or hats and I am very comfortable with who I am and my alopecia. My alopecia is something I have grown to truly love about myself and it has made me a stronger person. Some of my interests include writing, hiking, traveling, watching movies, and dogs! I am so excited to be a part of this mentorship program and to have a mentee I can grow alongside with. I can’t wait to talk with you, support you, and help you in any way I can!

My journey of accepting Alopecia started with intense denial and defensiveness of anything being wrong with my body, obnoxious behavior (think ‘Mean Girls’ minus the bullying) and finally maturing really quickly to have to cope with it. It’s been 17 years now, and I can proudly say that I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve lived and studied in 3 continents, speak on body issues and harnessing self confidence in various business schools in India, am a Diversity & Inclusion champion, and do not feel like I’ve lost out on any of life’s experiences. I choose to not wear a headpiece or a covering because of India’s tropical weather but do own one for that one odd day a year that I feel like it. I’ve been privileged to have a very solid support system in my close friends and family and thereby have rarely had confidence issues. I am now very used to being a person who gets a lot of attention and stares, and that’s the only thing I have to struggle to get used to and compartmentalize; because I am an introvert. Alopecia has been instrumental in shaping me as a person - I am a lot more aware of my strengths, less vain, have more perspective and in my effort to compensate for the lack of an “ideal” appearance when I was a teenager, I focused all my drive towards cultivating an intellectual curiosity. I now shuttle between India and North Carolina (where my husband is currently based) and have been wanting to be a part of NAAF for decades! The only thing that I did not have growing up, is a community of people going through similar challenges. It will be incredibly gratifying if I can help anyone who feels the same (or their family), navigate this complex period in their lives.

My name is Kristy Li and I’m a sophomore at UCSD majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology. When I was one year old, I became infected with the chickenpox virus. Unlike other kids who break out in itchy sores, my immune system went haywire. My hair started falling out and soon stopped growing in patches. I was diagnosed with alopecia areata, a condition I only became aware of when I was about five or six years old, and my peers began to bully me. This was really hard on me since I was so little and thought that I didn’t look pretty or cute, like my peers. I started figure skating a few years later, and learned that beauty is within, and when I figure skated, it made me feel beautiful. I love reading and doing arts and craft because it took my mind away from reality. It took me a long time to be comfortable and confident in who I am. I would be more than happy to share my experience with you and support you on your journey!

I’m a designer, artist, and educator living in Western Queens. I teach dance and visual art. Other interests of mine are: storytelling, acting, learning languages, spirituality, cooking, nature, feminism, and science. I get very nerdy about games of all kinds, and Harry Potter! My journey with alopecia started at age 10 (in 1999). I developed bald patches that came and went. My parents sought out all kinds of remedies for me, but none seemed to help. Middle school was rough — I was bullied, I had few confidants and no role models for living with alopecia, and on top of it my father died suddenly. Eventually I tried a wig. It helped me blend in, but was also burdensome and I was always afraid of being outed. I found other things to focus on, but I was relieved when my hair grew back in high school. Then many years later, when it started falling out again and I could no longer hide it, I shaved my head. It was liberating. Now I'm completely bald with very little body hair and no eyebrows or lashes. I draw eyebrows on daily, and often wear eyeliner. I’ve learned to separate my ever-changing hair from my sense of self. So nowadays I hardly think about it (except when random strangers tell me how great I look), and I can focus on the things I care about in life. I can't wait to meet you, hang out, and support you in your journey. I bet we could learn a lot from one another.

Hi, I'm Trisha! I am a junior in high school and was diagnosed with alopecia when I was 6. Throughout middle school, I struggled with bald patches constantly appearing, however, now in high school my hair has grown back. My goal as a mentor is to help my mentee deal with and process alopecia and the emotions/feelings that come along with it. In my free time, I play lacrosse, hang out with friends and my dog, and travel. I am on my school's lacrosse team and am also a news editor for my school's newspaper. I also run a summer book club for kids and spend time coaching younger kids in lacrosse. I am looking forward to becoming your mentor and can't wait to meet you!

Hey! My name is Ryan Sterling and I live in Batavia, Illinois. I’m 23 and currently work as a financial analyst. Some of things I enjoy doing are being active whether it be hiking, playing sports, walking around going bird watching, or just enjoying nature. I am also super into video games, really into Pokemon and Minecraft right now, but if you name it, I’ve probably played it. I also enjoy being creative by crafting, making silly videos with my friends, or singing alone to Adele in my car driving down the highway lol. My journey with Alopecia started as Alopecia Areata in middle school, which then went away during high school and part of college, then I was diagnosed with Alopecia Universalis after graduating school. I like to think that I am confident in myself and who I am and I hope to give this confidence to someone else in need of figuring out who they are and what they can be after losing their hair! I definitely still have bad days just like anyone else so I know exactly what you or your child is going through. Really excited to have just a fantastic time getting to know you and helping guide you through such a different path in life! I’m down to answer any and all questions that may arise. I am an open book!"