Find A Youth Mentor

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.   

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.

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 Cara Puccini and I’m from Cincinnati, Ohio. I am currently a sophomore at the University of Cincinnati, where I am studying Dietetics and Nutrition. At UC, I attend almost all the football and basketball games, and I love going the rec to workout. I have had alopecia universalis since I was 3 years old. Since I don’t remember ever having hair, I have never felt the need to wear a wig, although I do own some. After my second NAAF conference, I began drawing my eyebrows on and last summer I got them tattooed, and recently went back to get them micro-bladed. My twin sister, who has hair, and I went to a small catholic grade school and high school where we were cheerleaders and played golf. Since it was so small almost everyone knew who I was and I was never bullied for my alopecia. I have been attending NAAF conferences for 8 years now, and I look forward to them every summer. Although I never truly struggled with my alopecia, becoming part of the NAAF community changed my life. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without having alopecia and the opportunities I have had through NAAF.

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!

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!

Hi, my name is Hayley! I am 29 years old and living in Phoenix, AZ. I currently work as a registered nurse in the E.R. at a children’s hospital. Some of my interests include being outdoors such as, going hiking, biking, and paddle boarding. I LOVE animals and volunteer at an animal shelter for cats and dogs, as well as a horse rescue. I was diagnosed with alopecia in the 1st grade and it was not long before it all fell out, so I’ve been bald most of my life! I love to share my experiences with other people, and hear the experiences of those who are going through the same 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.