Purpose:

Our research team values input from the community. As our research focuses on adolescent and young adult health, we value youth and young adult perspectives on proposed, ongoing and completed research projects.  Youth Advisory Board members share and reflect the diverse perspectives of our community. Their valuable insights will be helpful in a variety of ways, such as providing input on study methods and ways to improve data collection. Meet some of our current advisors!

Current Members:

Bella Quiroa (she/her) is a Sophomore attending the EastBay MET high school. She is an aspiring filmmaker, activist, and writer. She has always felt passionate about those things and aims to better her research and observation skills through this board. She is also interested in the role media plays in her generation and hopes to better understand that topic. She takes part in Student Leadership, seeking improvements to be made along with her peers within the school. After school, she is part of a Peer Education group fighting against Teen Dating Violence and attends an internship with Clean Ocean Access helping with the efforts in the environmental fight. Some of her interests include photography, music, writing, and watching movies.

 

Grace MacKrell (she/her) is a senior at North Kingstown High School. Grace joined the TEAM300 YAB to share her experiences and hear from other teens. In her free time, Grace is involved with PlanUSA, a nonprofit fighting for gender equality, and SafeBAE a nationwide organization that works to end sexual assault and harassment among teens. Outside of academics, sports, and clubs at school, Grace enjoys spending time with friends, the beach, and being with her dog.

 

Marissa Panciera (she/her) is a junior at Westerly High School. She plays Varsity Tennis and is involved with her school’s Varsity Athletes Against Substance Abuse (VASSA). Marissa also engages with extracurriculars like Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Student Government, and her school’s Peer-to-Peer program. She enjoys helping find solutions to her school’s alcohol and drug abuse as well as educating and advocating for teen mental health. When outside of academics you can find her at the gym, hanging with her cats, or at the beach. In the future, she hopes to major in public health and find a career in clinical research.

 

Makayla Senesi is a sophomore at Coventry High School. She runs varsity cross country, varsity indoor track, and varsity outdoor track. During this school year’s fall cross country season, she earned All State honors and advanced to the New England Championships. After practice, she goes to the gym. Additionally, Makayla is involved in VAASA (Varsity Athletes Against Substance Abuse), where she spreads awareness of the dangers of addiction to middle school students. Makayla is an aspiring physician.

 

Caeden Joyce is a sophomore at Coventry High School. Caeden joined TEAM300 YAB to share his knowledge and hear from other teens. He is a player on both the baseball and basketball varsity teams at Coventry High School. From an early age, Caeden has volunteered at multiple substance abuse treatment and recovery events. He is a youth advisor to the Rally 4 Recovery and a key member of the organizing and planning committee. Outside of academics and sports, Caeden enjoys spending time with friends, playing the piano, and going to the gym.

 

Andrew Plumpton (he/him) is a junior at Westerly High School. He moved to Westerly in 8th grade, after living in Clinton, New Jersey for most of his life. At Westerly, Andrew is a varsity basketball player and is actively involved in Varsity Athletes Against Substance Abuse. Additionally, Andrew is a member of the school Math Team, food runner at a local restaurant, and volunteer in various community service opportunities or events at his church. You can always almost find Andrew on the court or in the gym, most likely listening to his favorite music. After seeing the effects of alcohol and drugs, Andrew vowed to remain substance free and help others do the same.

 

Simone Punchak

Simone Punchak (she/her) is a Junior at Classical High School. Her journey with raising awareness around the mental health of students within her school community led her to learn about the TEAM300 YAB. Working to address the root cause of substance abuse and lowered school performance, she is a member of multiple groups: Tobacco Free Rhode Island, Mayor’s Coalition on Behavioral Health Prevention Classical Chapter, PPSD Health and Wellness Committee, Girl Scouts. When she is not advocating within her community or preoccupied by one of the thousand projects she takes on, she is running her school’s Economics Club, solving equations within her school’s math team, drawing for her weekend portfolio class, or speaking/learning Korean. Simone enjoys making a positive difference in her community and strives for success in all aspects of her life.

 

Judith Perez

Judith Perez (she/her) is a Junior at Classical High School. She became interested in joining TEAM 300 YAB primarily because she has always volunteered for community-related projects. These projects include up to eight years of volunteer work at her church as well as activities connected to the church and the community (such as donations and charitable work). Apart from that, Judith is also associated with her school community, sports and clubs. She loves to play softball and go to the gym when she can after school. In addition she is part of the Mock Trial Club, Helping Hand and is a Math Tutor. She also enjoys being a member of a research team that works to improve student outcomes and may have an answer for the drug abuse and mental health issues that her school and other schools face. Judith strives to help enhance her school community and become a person many can feel safe being around.

 

Lila Boutin

Lila Boutin (she/her) is a sophomore at School One in Providence. Aside from academics, she is very involved in leadership, both inside and outside her school. She is the student school board representative and serves as a member of the student council, working to improve the wellness and safety of her school’s environment. She also works on her passions for mental health and wellness through extracurriculars. She coordinates a project working on initiatives of conservation and hiking across Rhode Island, and she currently works on a psychology research project. Outside of academics, she is a member of the nationally regarded professional dance crew Liv3lihood. She also does a variety of photography, including both nature photography and portraits. Outside of these extracurriculars, she is passionate about art, writing, and nature. She is excited to bring her experiences and thoughts to the YAB to make a difference in the way media is used today.

 

Iysis DaSilva

Iysis DaSilva (she/her) is a junior at School One in Providence where she serves on the Community Reconciliation Council.  She plays varsity soccer at Cranston East.  She is active in helping her community when she goes to her church’s food drive every Thursday and helps with feeding over 300 homeless people every Sunday morning. She is an aspiring criminal defense lawyer. She is working towards her goal  by going to a two week Harvard undergrad law program. She believes that Psychology plays an important factor in law; it is important especially in substance abuse related law. This is why she decided to join YAB to learn about how substance affects teenagers like her. She hopes to bring her knowledge and learn about other people’s experiences.

 

Jalika Barrie

Jalika Barrie (she/her) is a junior at The MET High School in Providence, Rhode Island. With a passion for giving back and helping others, she actively serves her community. She has a knack for internships and has previously interned with the first black female broker in Rhode Island to explore her interests in real estate. As a member of the United Youth Subcommittee, she tackles issues related to teen substance abuse and mental health. When she’s not helping in the community, she enjoys reading, spending time with family and friends, and exploring new hobbies. She is thrilled to gain new knowledge and experiences with the YAB team.

 

YAB Liaison: