Meet Our Team
Executive Team
President
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President ❀
My name is Haasini Yelugoti and I’m the founder and president of Protea Teens! After witnessing fellow high schoolers struggle with their mental health and face barriers towards accessing mental health resources, I started becoming more passionate about mental health advocacy. Aside from founding Protea Teens, I have a podcast titled Each Voice where I uplift voices in mental health and psychology and serve as the president of my school’s mental health club. I have worked directly with organizations such as Active Minds, DoSomething, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness to further my cause. I received DoSomething’s E.M.B.E.R. Award to further my Protea Teens initiative! Outside of advocacy, I love music and play the violin, guitar and love to dance.
Vice President
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Vice President ❀
Hi! My name is Dylan Ryan-Zilavy and I'm the vice president of Protea Teens. I'm a junior at Rickards High School, and I'm excited to be a part of promoting mental health awareness. I joined Protea Teens because I'm passionate about advocating for better mental health resources and lowering barriers, especially where I live in Florida. I've previously advocated at the Florida capitol along with NAMI, petitioned against restrictive legislation, and participated in the 411 teen youth podcast to discuss these issues. Outside of Protea Teens, I enjoy programming, competing in the Science Olympiad, swimming, and playing the cello. I hope that this conference will go a long way in promoting those goals and bringing together our youth to cause real change.
Project Manager
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Project Manager ❀
Hi! My name is Saarah Khan (she/her) and I am a junior at Rickards High School I am the project/conference manager for Protea Teens and it is my pleasure to be a part of making this conference. Some of my favorite past times involve crocheting and watching tv shows. My search for a safe space led me to Protea Teens and it has fostered my passion for youth mental health advocacy. I hope that I am able to create change through this organization to help youth all over Florida.
Secretary
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Secretary ❀
Hey everyone! My name is Sanauber Baig (she/her) I am a sophomore at Rickards High School and your secretary for Protea Teens! I believe in advocating for open and inclusive conversations about mental health, which is what drove me towards Protea Teens. I'm eager to contribute to creating a space where these discussions can continue to grow.
Conference Heads
Outreach
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Outreach ❀
Hey! My name is Brooklynn Whitfield, I’m 17 and a senior at Rickards High School and one of the outreach heads for Protea Teens. I believe in inclusivity and full focus of mental health in not just teens but the world, it’s what motivated me to be in Protea Teens. I’m honored to be able to provide and participate in such an important topic where I hope will continue to grow throughout the world.
Marketing
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Marketing ❀
Hey! I'm Nitya Konidala (she/her), one of the marketing heads for the Protea Teens conference and a junior at Rickards High School. I'm incredibly passionate about mental health advocacy, with my interest stemming from my goal to pursue a career in healthcare and belief that mental health shouldn't be considered taboo to discuss. I joined Protea Teens to promote better resources for teenagers across the state of Florida and reduce obstacles in the way of getting help when needed. I've served on the NAMI board previously and visited the capitol to advocate for youth mental health awareness. I chose to join the marketing side of this conference out of my love for graphic design which has been constant since the second I learned how to use a laptop, and an eye for aesthetics! Outside of this, I compete in Science Olympiad, regularly volunteer (especially in hospitals), play violin, golf, and love reading. I’m looking forward to working with Karlee for a great conference!
Hi! My name is Karlee Parker. I am a current senior at Rickards and I am apart of the Marketing Head of Protea Teens. I am apart of Protea teens to have an impact on the understanding as well as the facilitation of help through resources and advocacy regarding mental health. I am excited to be on the marketing team with Nitya working on ways to improve engagement and give the organization more acknowledgement through graphics and marketing. In my own time, my hobbies include singing, dancing, and doing hair! Im looking forward to this upcoming year!
Budgeting
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Budgeting ❀
Hi my name is Nishi Annapureddy (she/her). I am a junior at Rickards highschool and am so excited to be working as a budgeting head for Protea Teens! This opportunity has given me a wonderful way to pursue my passion in creating spaces and activities from students all over to connect and assist one another. Drawing inspiration from the connections I’ve created and the support that I’ve gained I hope to help others find the same. Outside of Protea Teens I love going on walks with my friends and drawing.
My name is Nathan Piroth (he/him), and I’m the Co-Head of the Protea Teens Budgeting team, along with being a Junior at Rickards High School who tends to get very involved when passionate about a cause. Ever since I reformed the Gender/Sexuality Alliance last year I’ve been searching for more advocacy groups to join in order to help as many people as I can in any way I can, and Protea Teens has provided a perfect opportunity. My hobbies include gaming, reading, and participating in the NPR 411 TEEN podcast.