Find A Youth Mentor

Hi! My name is Alexandra (Alex) Upadhyaya and I have had Alopecia since I was 3 years old. I grew up attending the yearly NAAF conferences and dedicated my time to athletics which helped me find the strength and confidence needed to grow up without hair. I’ve cycled through all the alopecia types but made the decision to shave my head entirely back in high school. Since then, I have also lost my eyelashes and eyebrows. I am proud to be bald and choose not to wear a wig, but do not judge those who choose differently. I am a new homeowner in Louisville KY and work as an industrial designer for an outdoor cooking appliance company. I love to run, work on house projects, and cook. I don’t have all the answers, but I have learned a lot on my alopecia journey, and I would love to be a part of yours!

Hi, my name is Caitlin! I'm from Danville, California, but have lived in the beautiful city of San Francisco for the last 4 years. I graduated with a degree in Psychology from Azusa Pacific University (located in Southern California) in 2012 and now work as an Enterprise Account Executive at a technology company called Zendesk. I am very close with my family and my friendships mean the world to me. I enjoy hiking, running, drawing, writing, reading and spending time with loved ones. Like everyone in this program, alopecia is a part of me, but it does not define me. I started losing my hair when I was in kindergarten and struggled with unpredictable bald spots through my college years. Although this provided for quite a bit of anxiety as a child, I was always able to cover up my thin patches and led a pretty normal life. At the age of 22, however, right after I had started my first job out of college and moved out of my parents, I lost all of my hair within about a month. This rocked my world and was extremely difficult, but I am thankful for my alopecia in that it has made me a stronger, more empathetic person today. I have learned to value and stand up for individuality. I am still living life without a lick of hair on my head (although I wear a wig, brows & lashes when in public) and am looking forward to sharing my journey with those involved in this organization! Let's get ice cream and talk!

Hi, I’m Matt McCurry. I am a senior marketing major and entrepreneurship minor at James Madison University; expecting to graduate next spring. Though, I am from Fairfax, Virginia. I have Alopecia Universalis. I first found out that I had it after my freshman year of high school, when I was around 15 years old. It started as a patch on the back of my head, then it progressed to several patches throughout the summer. I had done steroid injections on my patches. I stopped because the rate of my hair loss was too fast, and it was painful. I decided to completely shave it around November of 2016. I was afraid that I would not be remembered by people I had not seen in a long time. The other struggles that I experienced were when people would not allow me to wear head coverings or hats. For example, multiple times I have had referees and umpires tell me I cannot play with my buffs when I played baseball and basketball. I argued with their decision because it was not just for looks but also for my safety and of those around me. For me, the buff kept sweat out of my eyes, which was necessary to avoid injury while being active. In high school, I played for my school’s baseball team all four years and I competed in business competitions for my school’s DECA chapter. After graduating from JMU, I plan to work in the digital marketing industry. I hope to be an advocate for kids and young adults going through similar situations and to give them helpful advice and support. I would be glad to talk more about living with alopecia and becoming a mentor for your loved one.

Hey, I’m Alex. I was diagnosed with alopecia areata when I was 5 years old which quickly developed into alopecia totalis by the time I was 6. It didn't bother me and my parents assumed a wig would only slow me down so I rocked the bald look for first grade. Surprisingly though, all my hair grew back by second grade and I didn't have any problems with it until middle school. After many expensive and painful treatments, I decided to quit the medications and just let nature take its course. I shaved the last few tufts of hair off my head the day after Christmas of seventh grade. I also received my first wig that Christmas. I was so scared that my classmates would realize I was wearing a wig that I lied and told everyone I got a haircut during Christmas break. Over time my confidence grew and I knew I wanted to be open about my alopecia. The summer before eighth grade I ‘came out’ about my baldness over social media and was met with love and acceptance. Throughout the eighth grade, I experimented with different wigs each day and just had fun. My confidence only grew in highschool when sometimes I wouldn't even wear a wig and I still felt like I was rocking it. I had the opportunity to graduate when I was 16 and took that confidence with me to college. I understand how unpredictable alopecia is and what it is like to be bald as a kid and teenager. I can help both parents and kids navigate the world of alopecia and hopefully make that journey a little less daunting and a lot more fun.

My name is Sarrah Ludwig and I currently live in Lombard, IL a suburb just outside of Chicago. A little bit about myself, I graduated from Valparaiso University in 2016 where I played Division 1 Soccer within the NCAA and majored in Exercise Science with a double minor in Psychology and Biology. I currently attend Midwestern University in Downers Grove where I am working to achieve my Doctorate degree in Physical Therapy. In highschool, I played both varsity basketball and soccer, participated in several clubs, and was a National Honor's Society member. In addition to school, I am a coach for a competitive club soccer team, Roadrunners Soccer Club. I have coached boys and girls ages 4-18 for several years and love it, and I still enjoy playing in a local recreational soccer league when I can. I am inspired by the youth and love helping them however I can because they motivate and teach me just as much as I try to do for them. I was diagnosed with Alopecia Universalis when I was 3 years old and lost all of my hair. Since day 1, I have tried to embrace my differences. I thoroughly believe that we are our best version of ourselves when we have the utmost confidence. Which is why I wanted to get involved with NAAF, to be able to help young kids, adults, and parents gain the confidence and knowledge to be happy and comfortable with being different and embrace just who they are!

Hi my name is Hadlee Russell! I am from Buda Texas which is just south of Austin. I have had alopecia since I was 2 years old, so I have had it my entire life. I have been bald two times in my life; once when I was initially diagnosed and then again when I was 5. I also lost most of my hair my freshman year of high school. Throughout my journey with alopecia, I have learned that beauty is so much more than how you look, it’s about how you are as a person! My interests include playing the Nintendo Switch, Yoga, Fitness, being with friends, reading, & country music. I am excited to help younger kids in their journey with alopecia and teach them about all of the lessons I’ve learned! 

Hi, I’m Maya! I am from Los Gatos, California but am currently a student at California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo pursuing my studies in Graphic Communications. My alopecia journey began at the age of 17. I rapidly lost 85% of my hair and had to shift my focus from social events and school work, to how I was going to cover my balding head. It was traumatic to face events like prom and graduation with the insecurity of not having hair. I wore hats or headbands everyday to cover my bald patches until they got too large to be concealed. I then moved to a hair piece. My hair piece became a security blanket for me as I entered college. I hated every stage I had to go through, but over time I always found a way to accept what was happening to me. Throughout my hair loss, I went to countless doctors and eventually found a clinical trial that prescribed me the drug Xeljanz. It helped stop my hair from falling out and promoted regrowth. I decided to stop the medicine and I noticed my hair beginning to grow back. I recently stopped wearing my hair piece and cut my hair short. I am proud to rock my short hair that is 100% my own! This past year has been a roller coaster of emotions and learning, but my alopecia journey has taught me how to be strong and confident. I now try to focus less on the disease and more on doing what I love: hanging out with family and friends, hiking, going to the beach and enjoying my freshman year. I look forward to helping others who are also on this emotional roller coaster!

Hi there! My name is Rachel, and I am so excited to meet you! I am a college student at Rice University in Houston, Texas, studying psychology. In my free time, I love playing soccer, teaching myself to play guitar, and taking lots and lots of pictures. My journey with Alopecia began when I was around 13 years old, starting with just a few patches. I eventually lost all of my hair at the start of high school and went through many phases of wearing wigs and rocking my bald spots. Learning to accept who I am with and without hair has been a challenging and incredibly rewarding journey, and I am so excited to share that experience with my mentee!

My name is Nathan Adams, and I'm originally from Thomaston, Ga. I currently live in Athens, where I'm a third-year student at the Univesity of Georgia College of Pharmacy. I received my diagnosis of Alopecia Universalis at 8 years old. Shortly after, I lost all of the hair on my body. Initially, for treatment, I received corticosteroid injections every 4-8 weeks in my scalp and eyebrows, and I continued the injections until my early 20's. The steroid injections regrew approximately 50% of the hair on my scalp. However, I still struggled with self-acceptance and anxiety about going out in public. Throughout middle school, high school, and the first part of college, I would rarely go out in public without a hat on from fear of being judged for how I looked. The older I got, the more I realized that I cared about how I looked immensely more than my peers and friends did. When I was 21, I started to see a notable improvement in my hair growth and today currently have roughly 90% regrowth. My hobbies and interests include watching and playing sports (football, basketball, soccer, baseball, golf, tennis, bowling, cornhole, wakeboarding, and snowboarding), physical fitness, video games, hiking, watching movies, playing guitar, attending concerts, traveling, and socializing with friends. Although those are some of my interests, I'm open-minded to trying new experiences. Alopecia has taught me the importance of having a positive mindset amidst challenging circumstances and making the most of every situation. Living with alopecia has molded me into who I am today, and I look forward to developing a relationship with my mentee(s) and lending any advice I can along the way.

Hello! My name is Paige Moore. I was initially diagnosed with alopecia areata when I was a sophomore in high school. Experiencing something like this, and still being young was a very tough adjustment. Having an autoimmune disease, like alopecia and being active wasn’t an easy task. My major issue was sweating, making it so hard to keep the spots covered even with the topiks powder. Fortunately, I did overcome for a while, and I went into a period where I had no hair loss and I was over the moon! Fast forward to second semester of my freshman year in college, my hair took a turn for the worst. Within two months I became completely bald and then someone with universalis. I like to think that god only gives us what we can handle. I believe I was blessed with this to help other along their journey.