Student Health Advocates

• Represent and advocate for School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) and school health services in Oregon.
• ​Advocate for equitable and youth-friendly healthcare.
• Organize and facilitate trainings, workshops, statewide summits, and panel presentations on the following topics: youth-friendly health services, youth-adult partnership, communicating with adult decision-makers, health promotion and prevention strategies, healthy youth relationships, and more!

How do I connect with the Student Health Advocates for an event, workshop, or training?
If you have any questions or would like to get in touch with OSBHA Student Health Advocates, please contact Mykia Hernandez at mykia@osbha.org or 503-719-4515 ext. 103. Click here to find out more about consulting with the OSBHA Student Health Advocates.

How do I become a Student Health Advocate?
Applications to join the Student Health Advocates 2020-2021 cohort will open September of 2020. If you have any questions, feel free to check out our FAQ page. 

Benefits of becoming a Student Health Advocate?

• Leadership opportunities
• Positive impact on your community ​
• Public speaking and communication skills​
• Policy advocacy skills​
• Goal setting and event planning​
• Deepened relationship to social justice ​
• $700 annual stipend for your participation​
• Additional stipend for presenting and/or facilitating at events
• Relationship and team-building skills

Meet our 2019-2020 Student Health Advocates:

Anika Schniewind
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Student Health Advocate

Anika Schniewind is a Student Health Advocate who attends Jefferson High School as a junior. This is Anika's first year as a Student Health Advocate and she is very honored to be a part of the organization. She is passionate about student's health rights and student health centers. She is excited to use her voice among her fellow student advocates to spread awareness on health issues.








Azucena Santos
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Student Health Advocate

Azucena is a senior at Liberty High School. This is her first year being a student health advocate for Oregon School-Based Alliance. She commutes an hour on public transportation for every meeting because she knows in order to make a change, action has to be taken. Azucena knows there is a disparity for student voices within issues centered in healthcare. She believes all voices need to be heard because issues impact all communities. Azucena plans to attend a four-year university and pursue a career that makes her happy. “I feel strongly about advocating for student voices because, by including student voices, we allow the next generations to initiate the changes they need.”







Cing Tawi
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Student Health Advocate

My name is Cing Tawi. I’m a member of SHA since last year and really enjoying it. I came here with “How are you? I’m fine, Thank you and You?” English skills, but now I have the opportunity to connect with this amazing program and meet new people to work on something I’ve never imagined doing it. I love to be a part of this organization and it’s so important for me to join this because mostly, it helps me with my confidence in communication, and able to be the help of people in need in Healthcare. Since my future goal is to become an RN, this is a very great start for me. Also, I’ve been working with a little club (YAC) from my home high school, Centennial High School for over 3 years and it has been fun and super beneficial for me. I’m glad to continue and doing my best to give all my best to achieve our goals.





Fartuun Yusuf
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Student Health Advocate

Fartuun Yusuf is a sophomore at Franklin High School, a Student Health Advocate who works with the Oregon School-Based Health Alliance. Fartuun has a passion/interest for social topics that impact minorities being a woman of color and a Muslim, healthcare topics such as mental health, diseases, and disabilities but also health topics that are seen as taboo from a cultural perspective.  Fartuun wants to learn, gain new experiences about healthcare topics that are affecting the youth while also adding a different perspective into the conversation. Fartuun is involved with Black Student Union, Red Cross, Passion Impact and Volunteers for School Uniting Neighborhoods. Fartuun enjoys drawing, painting, badminton, and volunteering. Fartuun believes that healthcare access and education should be available to every student. Fartuun aspires to be in the medical felid specifically, a diabetic educator being a type one diabetic herself, wanting to educate, debunking stereotypes and myths that come with the disease but, also sharing my experiences with others. ​



Jaelene Diaz Chavez
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Student Health Advocate

Jaelene Diaz Chavez is a Student Health Advocate who works with the Oregon School-Based Health Alliance to help inform the youth about current health topics and issues. Jaelene is a student at Metro East Web Academy but is enrolled in the Early College program where she attends school at Mount Hood Community College. She enjoys playing sports for her school and volunteering her time in the community. Jaelene plans on pursuing a career in criminal justice and forensic science. With the opportunity of being a student health advocate, she hopes to gain more knowledge on how to speak with the youth and health professionals about serious issues and promote the importance of school-based health centers at schools that do not currently have one.






Jayla Pride
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Student Health Advocate

Jayla Pride finds herself advocating as a Student Health Advocate after deciding she wants to further youth voice in the health care system. While attending school in Portland, Oregon, she’s involved in clubs and attends lectures that help her to push for a better environment on her campus. As a WOC, she’s prepared to speak out against discrimination towards the minority. She believes that everyone deserves an environment where their health concerns are listened to. In a years time, Jayla hopes that the equitable ideals that she believes in become less of a discussion, and more of a reality. 







Jennifer Cruz Hernandez
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Student Health Advocate

My name is Jennifer Cruz Hernandez. I am starting my second year at Portland Community College. I have been in Student Health Advocacy Program at Oregon School-Based Health Alliance for three years now. I also take part in The Dream Project at PCC, I work at the Hillsboro School District, and at the City of Hillsboro. Through these activities, I have found my passion for equity and social justice. Fortunately, they have allowed me to advocate for and serve my community. My life purpose is to serve, empower, and inspire families and students who face life the life conditions of being disadvantaged and underrepresented. I will serve others through the field of Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies. My career interest will assist me to achieve my life purpose by having my knowledge grow to get conversations started and give more knowledge to others so that success among us only increases. Everyone deserves to be represented. Everyone deserves to be heard. Everyone deserves an opportunity and be supported through it. 




Melissa Muñoz
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Student Health Advocate

Melissa Muñoz is 17 and has lived in Portland OR almost all her life. Melissa is a Student Health Advocate at OSBHA. This year Melissa has tried occupying herself more with social justice issues in society by joining social justice organizations, events, programs, etc. While being here at OSBHA, Melissa is eager to learn more about school-based health centers and what she can do to help to improve the healthcare/medical system.








Mira Hukill
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Student Health Advocate

Mira is a 17-year-old student at Roosevelt high school. Mira has used her school-based health center for many different things and wants everyone to be able to access healthcare no matter what background they're from. She is quite passionate about LGBTQ+ health and rights, properly educating students about consent, and making sure that high school students are given all the support and healthcare that they need. Over her first year as a Student Health Advocate, she helped organize and plan the 2019 YAC Summit and work with health on a legislative level. She’s looking forward to her second year and can’t wait to see what she can accomplish.






Mirea Bacit
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Student Health Advocates

Mirea Bacit is a Student Health Advocate and a current senior at David Douglas High School as well as a future freshman at PCC followed by PSU. She aspires to major in psychology and minor in law enforcement in hopes to help youth and young adults in underprivileged areas by providing counseling, various health services, and leadership opportunities. Mirea’s passion to help others stems from her summer internship with Lents Youth Initiative and Green Lents. At the moment, she’s involved with the Student Health Advocates, DDHS Adv. Treble Choir, and the National Honor Society of Music (Tri-M).







Morgan Gallardo
Student Health Advocate

Morgan is a returning student health advocate. They have over 7 years of experience under their belt, working with their high school's Youth Advisory Council before joining OSBHA their senior year. Now entering their third year with the Student Health Advocates, Morgan has worked on several events with the OSBHA, including participating in youth panels, supporting healthcare bills and other students at Oregon's capitol on Youth Advocacy Day, and event planning for the annual YAC summit. Morgan's central values include representation and fair treatment of the LGBT community in healthcare, reproductive rights, and equal opportunity for care regardless of income.





 

Rosaria Ally
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Student Health Advocate

Rosaria Ally is a student at Roosevelt high school with determination and ambition for success, she dreams of becoming an immigration lawyer,  to provide help to those who need it just as she needed it as an immigrant. She is in a variety of clubs, one includes Student Health Advocate, and helps out at school with the mindset of wanting to give back to her community and school.

Salma Sheikh
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Student Health Advocate

Salma Sheikh is an honor roll student at Oregon Islamic Academy. As a first-generation Somali American, she understands the needs of first-generation immigrant teens who navigate multiple cultures and roles and the stresses that come with that journey. She believes that every voice needs to be heard. She is a passionate advocate for women’s rights, immigrant rights, and other social justice causes. Salma excels in science and competed in last year’s Gresham Science Expo. Salma’s goal is to major in Science and pursue a career in policy. In her free time, Salma enjoys reading, biking, skincare, and spending time with the people she loves. 







Sophia Mann
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Student Health Advocate

This is Sophia’s first year as a student advocate for OSBHA. She hopes to be more connected to her community and the people in her community through her advocacy. She goes to Jefferson High School and is 15 years old, she has lived in Portland since she was 5. She believes in the power of speaking up for the things important to you and making sure everyone has the right to do so. She hopes to have a career in education so she can empower the next generation to use their voice. 

Weston Taylor
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Student Health Advocate

Weston Anderson is a 15 year old trans foster youth. He attends Benson High School. Weston joined OSBHA Student Health Advocates with a deep passion for connecting with his peers and community. Weston is involved with Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center, SMYRC and regularly attends meetings, workshops, and youth LGBTQ events. Weston enjoys spaces where he can listen, learn, and connect with other LGBTQ youth. Weston is excited to learn more about healthcare, his impact on the community, and building his leadership skills.