Youth Mentor Program

Hi, my name is Elizabeth and I was born and raised in Maryland. I’m currently a student at the University of Michigan (go blue!) studying biopsychology, cognition, and neuroscience. In my free time I enjoy figure skating, kayaking, and staying active. I’m also completely invested in skincare and beauty! I was first diagnosed with alopecia when I was 14 years old. Since then, I’ve gone back and forth between having nearly a full head of hair to losing almost all my hair. I’ve been through phases of wearing wigs, getting steroid shots, and taking prescription medicine. However, I realized that during this period of time, my desire to get treatment stemmed from my insecurities, and even with treatment, I never truly accepted myself. My turning point was shaving my head for the first time (funny story: I did this ~6 hours before my flight to Cancun) because I finally fully embraced my alopecia. Since then, I’ve actively encouraged myself to appreciate the strength and experiences alopecia has gifted me with. I’ve also learned how to wear wigs and get treatment while still being confident in my identity. My journey has been a little rough but that is exactly why I’m excited to be a mentor! I want to spread positivity and support, whether it be through chatting about my experiences, talking casually, or doing fun activities together. I love trying new things and I’m constantly looking for ways to grow--maybe I can learn from you too!

My name is Sarah Ford, I’m 17 years old and live outside of Philadelphia. I am currently a senior at Conestoga High School and during my freshman year is when I found out about my Alopecia. My hobbies include traveling, playing sports and babysitting! In the Fall of my freshman year I noticed a bald spot on my head and all my doctors told me it was from stress. Later that year, I found out it was Alopecia Areata and I began to get the shots in my head to grow back the hair. Since I only had one bald spot the shots worked, and my hair grew back in that area. Around the same time in fall my sophomore year I started to lose my hair again. This time all my hair fell out. I started wearing a wig because I was very self-conscious about looking so different than the rest of my peers in such a big school. During my junior year, all my hair started to grow back under my wig, I had hair down to my ears. Everyone around me was telling me to stop wearing my wig but I was so scared and insecure of what other people were going to say. One day, with the support of my family and friends around me I decided to stop wearing the wig and walk into school with my short hair. I have learned so much through this experience, and even though it was exceptionally hard, it has taught me so much about myself and has changed my perspective on life. Alopecia is a very emotional and hard disease to cope with, but with the help of other people who have alopecia and the community around me I learned that Alopecia isn’t all that matters and there is so much more to life! I can’t wait to be able to give the support that I had to other people who are struggling with Alopecia too.

I live in Chestnut Hill, MA, and work at the Animal Rescue League of Boston and Gillette Stadium (Go Pats!). I have had alopecia since kindergarten, but lost the majority of my hair the summer before my senior year of high school. I remember going for my first wig, absolutely hating it, and not only being devastated, but furious because I felt as though my hair had been taken away from me.

That was the summer of 2010. In the spring of 2012 I lost my eyebrows, and in the fall, my eyelashes. I remember learning how to draw on my eyebrows and watching YouTube videos to learn how to wear fake eyelashes. Soon after losing my eyebrows, I got them tattooed on, and in 2015, I got my bottom eyeliner. Yes it kills, but yes I love them. Ever since, I am in full hair and makeup almost every day.

From crying so hard I could barely stand, to showing the boyfriend I thought I would never find what I look like without my hair on, I know what it feels like to hate being bald. I’d be lying if I said I was comfortable with my alopecia, but after my first NAAF conference in 2013, my world started turning in a different direction, in a positive direction. I want everyone to know that it is okay to wear a wig, and that you can still be your super awesome self with one on! I love talking to people and would love to talk to you about wigs, make up, and cute animals!

Hello, my name is Sasha and I am a born and raised New Yorker. I work in NYC as a full-time accountant and a part-time English tutor. Developing alopecia in my young adult life really affected my sense of self and identity. At that time, I did not know how to cope with the emotional stress and had little knowledge or access to the available resources. In time, I found the support of great people who helped me learn more about this disease and encouraged me to stay positive. With their help, I learned everything I could know about alopecia and the tools available to overcome it. I’m proud of the strides I’ve made and the skills I’ve acquired that help me to feel like myself again. I think every journey is a little bit different but we can definitely learn from each other. I would like my role to be someone who can understand, support, and empathize with you and your family. Together we can carry ourselves through this journey.

Hello! My name is CJ Ostrosky. I’m 24, and currently working as a graphic designer and communications professional for a nonprofit in Washington, DC, where I’ve lived for the last few years since graduating from college. I’m originally from Pittsburgh, PA, and I visit my family there frequently and have a lot of hometown pride. When I can, I love to travel all over the world and try new things (especially new foods). I also enjoy painting, reading, kayaking, and spending time with friends. Alopecia is new to me: I lost all my hair just eight months ago. I believe I have alopecia universalis, though I’ve been pursuing a few treatments so far and seen my eyebrows grow back a bit! At first, alopecia was really scary and stressful for me, and it still isn’t always easy, but it has also brought me a new appreciation for my appearance, and a love of doing crazy colorful make-up. Usually, I rock my baldness, but I also really enjoy wearing brightly colored wigs from time to time for fun. For me, I know it would have been easier to cope with such a sudden change if I had known anyone else who had struggled with alopecia. As a mentor, I want to be that person for others and let them know that they are not alone. I am excited to get to know other people who have been through this crazy journey, and I hope to be able to offer support to someone who needs it.

Hi everyone! I’m Laura and I’m from Park Ridge, IL which is right outside of Chicago. I currently go to the University of Wisconsin-Madison and am pre-PA majoring in Biology and Global Health. I discovered I had Alopecia when I was 8 years old while I was getting ready for school one morning. A few months later, after trying several different treatments, I was diagnosed with Alopecia Universalis and have had no hair growth ever since. Following the year of my diagnosis I went to my first NAAF conference and went for four more years after that. My journey with Alopecia has definitely not been easy as looking so different from my friends and classmates was extremely hard for me. It really took me a long time to accept myself with Alopecia and accept that this might not ever get better. Keeping busy and doing things that I loved all while leaning on my amazing friends and family was what kept me going. I played volleyball all throughout middle school and high school and was editor of my high school newspaper. Now, in college I’m meeting new people all the time and have found it so much easier to be open about my Alopecia and my journey with it as this wasn’t the case while I was growing up. I love hanging out with my friends, going to football games (Go Badgers), and taking advantage of every opportunity I find. Having Alopecia has completely changed my perspective on life and I would love to share my experiences and give any advice I have to my mentee(s)!

My name is Lindsey Graham, and I am originally from the Chicago suburbs of Illinois, but I currently attend the University of Iowa, and live in Iowa. I am double majoring in elementary education and art. I lost my hair just a year ago, when I was 20. I randomly started to experience hair loss, and after seeing a couple of doctors I was diagnosed with Alopecia. Within 2 weeks, I had lost all the hair on my head. This was shocking for me losing it all so quickly, and living 20 years prior without experiencing anything like this. I started by wearing wigs, but eventually I realized this was just an unnecessary strain on my life and I started to wear hats. My hair is now growing back, but I am unsure how long this will last. Either way, I have found peace with how things keep changing, and I have continued to live my life as normally as anyone else. Some things that I like to do are paint/ draw, spend time with my new puppy, hangout with my friends, go hiking, and watch movies. I also take Italian at the University and I love it, and am even going to Italy soon. Mentoring interests me because I am very extroverted and love to meet new people, especially people who are dealing with similar things as me!

Hi, I'm Sarvesh! I'm an Indian-American who grew up in St. Louis, MO. I first started experiencing alopecia areata when I was 24 years old and it progressed to alopecia universalis within 2 years. I currently live in Austin, TX. In my free time, I try to take advantage of Austin's outdoor friendly climate by hiking, playing soccer, or seeing live music. I also enjoy watching college football and basketball - mostly of my alma mater, the University of Michigan (Go Blue!). I'm involved in other organizations as well including CASA of Travis County (as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children in the foster care system) as well as Austin Pets Alive (as a Dog Foster Parent). I love to chat about anything from race/politics/culture to how alopecia impacts people's lives to sports, TV, and other pop culture. I've struggled with alopecia a lot in the past; but, overcoming those hardships has made me a more empathetic and resilient person. I'd be happy to share my experiences and/or just hang out!

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!

My name is Traci and I was born and raised in sunny California! I currently live in Los Angeles, after 5 years of living in New York, and am a journalist and writer. I started losing my hair when I was 7 years old and was diagnosed with alopecia shortly after. Growing up with alopecia was challenging because it was such a new experience for my parents and for me to navigate those conversations with my peers (as well as trying to figure out the world of wigs!), but I think it's made me a stronger person too. I've been lucky to have supportive friends and I've learned to talk about alopecia without feeling self-conscious and scared about judgement – but I also know how challenging that process is, and it's not always easy, but I know with the right support system, we can all make the world a kinder and more accepting place!

Hi! My name is Anisha Jobanputra, I’m 20 years old and I was born and raised right outside Philadelphia, PA. I'm currently a junior pre-med student at Penn State University! I’m part of the Phi Sigma Rho Sorority, a fusion dance team, and a volunteer of the IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon known as THON! I love running, shopping, dancing, traveling, anything Marvel/superheroes, flower arranging and of course, hanging out with friends and family. I’ve had alopecia areata since I was 4 years old, and can relate to any young child or teen going through this time in their life. It can be difficult, especially with society and expectations, and sometimes it really helps to have someone you can turn to and express all your feelings with. While growing up and navigating through life, alopecia has taught me to care less about what others think, and really focus on how you can be the most empowering, positive, and beautiful version of yourself! I wish I could go back in time and tell my younger self that it’s okay to have alopecia, and that you will get through it. Alopecia doesn’t have to be something we hide behind or let dictate how we feel or what we do! I am so excited to get to know you and offer any advice or guidance that I can! I’m open to talking about anything and am really looking forward to offering a helping hand and being someone you can count on!

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!